PA Environment Digest June 19, 2017

PA Environment Digest
An Update On Environmental Issues In Pennsylvania

Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates
Winner Of PA Association of Environmental Educators

Business Partner Of The Year Award
PA Environment Digest Daily Blog Twitter Feed
Issue #677 Harrisburg, PA June 19, 2017
PEC: Will The Environment, Conservation Be Dissed Again In PAs State Budget?
The PA Environmental Council Wednesday posted

this statement on this years state budget
deliberations and chronically inadequate funding for
environmental and conservation programs--
June is budget month in Harrisburg, and that means a
years worth of fiscal numbers and news come to a
head through many different moving parts. While
2017 is a different year, we are again faced with
daunting numbers and the outlook remains grim for
environmental spending.
The backstory to this is more than a decade of cuts to
conservation and environmental programs in Pennsylvania, drastic proposed cuts at the federal
level, and a $2.8 billion state budget deficit.
On top of this, Pennsylvanias best resource to leverage private investment in removing
legacy pollution and building community projects Growing Greener is essentially tapped out.
Todays problems are the cumulative result of years of decisions and inaction spread
across multiple Governors and sessions of the General Assembly.
What is clear, however, is that the environment has been disproportionately neglected by
leadership in Harrisburg, even while many of those same individuals question why the
performance of our states resource protection and management agencies is lacking.
The Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) funding today is lower than it was
two decades ago. It has lost a quarter of its staff since 2003, and is facing a precipitous loss in
federal support.
The agency has been cut to beyond its ability to meet its core mission, never mind the
multiple, billion dollar problems like cleanup of the Susquehanna River and the states
abandoned mine lands and abandoned oil and gas wells that demand attention.
DEP has begun the long-overdue process of increasing program permit fees to help
address shortfalls, but even the most optimistic of scenarios (given the states extensive
regulatory approval process) place these new monies in 2019 or beyond.
That means Pennsylvania remains far behind other states in performance of even the most
fundamental of activities.
For example, our states Safe Drinking Water program currently faces an inspection
workload (available staff against number of inspected facilities) more than twice the national
average, and has come under fire from the Environmental Protection Agency as woefully
inadequate.
There is no question that agency accountability is of paramount importance; the regulated
community deserves the same level of consistency and responsiveness in permitting that the
public deserves in oversight and enforcement.
Some of the problems in permitting go beyond simply a lack of money and must be
addressed.
As they should, DEP appears to be making the effort to reach out to the regulated
community and elevate their own performance. But without sufficient support from the General
Assembly and Governor, we face a continuation of problems that no one is happy with.
And its the entirety of Pennsylvania our environment, our economy, our communities
that suffer as a result.
Anyone looking for signs of commitment and support for environmental and
conservation issues is sure to be disappointed.
In April the state House of Representatives passed an FY 2017-18 budget via House
Bill 218 that makes at least a 6 percent across-the-board cut to resource agencies. The
legislation also includes a budget-wide $800 million revenue shortfall.
For DEP, the House budget cuts go across the board, affecting general operations (by 10
percent), environmental programs (by 6.5 percent), and environmental protection (by 5 percent).
The House bill also cuts funding for county conservation districts and water quality initiatives.
For the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which has also
struggled with redirection or reductions in state funding over the past decade-and-a-half, the
House budget cuts their support by $2.8 million.
As noted in public testimony by DCNR, these cuts threaten reduction or even elimination
of services across the Commonwealth, most notably in our state parks and forests. It could also
lead to loss of agency support for public recreation projects across the state.
These are all resources that provide extraordinary economic return to local businesses and
communities, as well as the states bottom line. Recreation and tourism is one of Pennsylvanias
leading industries.
The House budget fails to provide any solutions to environmental permitting, agency
performance, or public protection. It merely deepens long-standing shortfalls that have already
adversely affected Pennsylvanias citizens and businesses, and that leave our waters, state parks
and forests, and communities further at risk.
Since passage of this proposed budget in April, the legislature has held numerous
hearings bemoaning agency performance.
The wrong questions, and the wrong solutions, appear to be the only things that have
been put on the table headed into budget negotiations.
There also appears to be the subtle positioning of certain legislative riders, which would
weaken environmental protection laws, for last minute inclusion in the state fiscal code.
There are no easy answers, and the problems cant be overcome in one month. But we
again find ourselves racing into a few short weeks of budget turmoil, with no apparent
satisfactory outcome or long-term solution.
At a time that calls for open dialogue and responsibility, leadership in Harrisburg appears
to be content with ignoring the problems, or quarrelling about them in relative isolation.
Pennsylvania deserves better. Its citizens, communities, and industries all deserve better.
It is time to make the commitment necessary to protect our environment, sustain our public lands
and recreational infrastructure, and support our businesses and economy. It can be done.
The Governor and General Assembly must lead on the fundamental issues of our
environment and economy. But first, they have to take ownership of those challenges. As of
today, we have a long way to go to get there.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA
Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on
Facebook. Visit PECs Audio Room for the latest podcasts. Click Here to receive regular
updates from PEC.
NewsClips:
Agriculture: House Republican Budget Bill Would Cut Vital Services
Crable: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Governors Push For Continued Funding
AP: PA Gas Drilling Fee Revenue Falls For Third Year
Impact Fees Shrink While Natural Gas Production Swells
Impact Fees Down Again, But Washington County Top Recipient
Westmoreland Drilling Impact Fees Drop For Fourth Year
Beaver County Bucks Trend, Will Get Increased Drilling Impact Fee Money
Op-Ed: Leaving Money On The Table, Natural Gas Severance Tax
Corman: Gaming Bill Next Week, Budget Spend Number About Same As House
PAs So Low On Cash, It Could Have To Borrow From Outside Lenders
GOP, Democratic Lawmakers Vow To Stop EPA Cuts
Trumps EPA Budget Cuts Hit Strong Opposition At U.S. House Panel
Nations Water Officials Converge On Philly To Press Their Case For More Support
Casey Urges White House To Restore Funding For Lock-And-Dam, Infrastructure
Improvements
AP: Finding Released From Appalachian Agency Targeted For Elimination
Week Ahead: its Perrys (DOE) Turn In The Budget-Defense Barrel
Related Stories:
Op-Ed: Parks, Forest And Recreation - Essential To Pennsylvania Health And Economy
Take A Few Minutes To Write To Your Legislator To Save Our State Parks & Forests
PA House Republican Budget Deals Crippling Blow To DCNR Budget, Leads To Layoffs
Sen. Corman: Gaming Bill Next Week, Budget Spend Number About The Same As The House
IFO: FY 17-18 Revenue Estimate Is $32.49 Billion, Nearly $1 Billion More Than House
Republican Budget
June 17 Call For Clean Water Funding At Susquehanna River Rally In Harrisburg
PUC Distributes $173 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees, Down $14.5M, More Reductions
Ahead
Senate Unanimously Passes Bill To Prevent Funding Crisis In Recycling Program
House Passes Bills Authorizing Local Stormwater Management Fees
[Posted: June 14, 2017]
DEP: PA House Republican Budget Will Delay Permit Review, Put Public Health At Risk
The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday warned
cuts to environmental and public health programs in the proposed
budget from House Republicans will slow down the permit
reviews and could put air and water quality at risk.
These concerns were magnified Wednesday when Senate
Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) said Senate
Republicans were looking at about the same spend number as
House Republicans.
The Independent Fiscal Office reported Thursday they
project $32.49 billion in revenue will be available in FY
2017-18, which is nearly $1 billion more than the House
Republican budget of $31.52 billion.
There is also the impact of proposed federal budget cuts on DEPs programs to consider,
if they become a reality.
DEP Letter
In a May 30 letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate Environmental Resources and
Energy Committees, Secretary Patrick McDonnell outlined six key ways the proposed budget
would impact public health, safety, and economic development.
A spending cut of this magnitude -- unfocused and on top of the changes we have
already proposed and the cuts we have received, including a reduction of 754 positions over the
past decade -- would put Pennsylvanias environmental and public health at risk, said DEP
Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
Among the impacts of the proposed across-the-board cuts in DEPs budget would be:
-- Delayed Permit Reviews: Longer wait times for permit reviews, slowing down economic
development and undercutting improvements that DEP has made to the permit review process
-- Fewer Water System Inspections: 600 fewer inspections of public water systems, which
provide clean drinking water to 83 percent of the Commonwealth population;
-- Stifle PAs Ability To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay Watershed: The Commonwealth recently
kicked off a new process to develop the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan to meet the
Commonwealths legal mandate to cleanup the Bay Watershed. More resources, not fewer are
needed to meet this obligation;
-- Fewer Inspections of Hazardous Dams: A 6.41 percent reduction in DEPs budget will have
a significant impact on the implementation of the statewide Dam Safety Program, including 800
high-hazard dams;
-- West Nile & Zika Virus Cuts: The House Republican budget would cut this item $338,000;
and
-- Fewer Mine Inspectors: Fewer underground mine inspectors that ensure safe working
conditions for Pennsylvanias coal miners.
A fee package that would increase and implement new fees on public water systems has
been introduced to fund additional staff for the program.
In December 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned DEP that
continued staff shortages and underinvestment in the program could lead to Pennsylvania losing
primacy over the program.
Loss of primacy for the program would strip DEPs authority to regulate drinking water,
as well as remove millions of dollars of funds for communities to upgrade their safe drinking
water facilities.
Proposed Federal Cuts
In addition to the cuts outlined in the letter, Secretary McDonnell noted that possible cuts
to DEPs budget from federal sources would further exacerbate these issues. Combined, funding
cuts at the state and federal level would hamper infrastructure projects and the jobs that those
projects create.
Along with the effects that funding cuts at the state level would cause, DEP also outlined
the impacts of federal budget cuts in a letter to the Pennsylvania congressional delegation.
NewsClips:
Improvements
Related Stories:
Ahead
Republican Budget
Conservation, recreation and preservation organizations

and individuals are joining together for a Susquehanna River Rally on June 17 in Harrisburg to
call for clean water funding as state budget negotiations commence.
There is a water crisis in Pennsylvania, and a united voice of citizens is needed to inspire
and enact change at the state level.
Rally organizers said state elected officials have failed to protect the water we drink by
failing to protect our waters and streams, and as a result, Pennsylvania ranks third behind
Texas and Florida for most reported drinking water safety violations.
On June 17, participants will urge state legislators and Gov. Wolf's administration to
prioritize clean water.
The health of the Susquehanna River, part of the Captain John Smith National Historic
Trail (America's first water trail) and the source of drinking water for more than 6 million
people, is threatened by animal waste, pollution in stormwater and eroding soils.
The river is also important because it attracts locals and visitors from near and far and is a
vital resource to our communities and a boon to our local economies.
The National Parks and Conservation Association, PennFuture, Choose Clean Water
Coalition, the PA Growing Greener Coalition, PA Parks and Recreation Society, The
Conservation Fund and Susquehanna Heritage are participating in this event.
Kayaks and canoes are generously being provided by Susquehanna Outfitters, based in
Wormleysburg, but participants are encouraged to bring their own kayak or canoe, if they own
them.
Special thanks to the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society for their generous donation of
voyage passes to The Pride of the Susquehanna and to the PA Parks and Recreation Society for
their donation of Hershey Park passes to be given away during the event.
The rally will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on City Island in Harrisburg at the
Beach House Area. Questions should be directed to andrew Health by sending email to:
aheath@growinggreener.org.
NewsClips:
Improvements
Related Stories:
Ahead
Republican Budget
The PA Parks and Forests Foundation sent out this

urgent message Thursday morning--
How much do your state parks and forests mean to

you? Do they mean enough to take 15 minutes and
write and mail a letter to your state senator and
representative? Ten minutes to craft an email to them? Five minutes to make a phone call?
If ever you enjoyed an afternoon ... a day ... a weekend enjoying these wonderful places,
now is the time to return the favor. If ever you took part in a program ...hiked on a trail ...
launched a boat, now is the time to let your legislators know the impact of that visit.
Your elected officials need to hear from you. The House has already passed a budget
proposal (House Bill 218) that cuts 16 percent (or nearly $60 million) from the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and current statements from the Senate indicate they will
have a "FY 2017-18 spend number about the same as the House."
For years, DCNR has been operating on a lean budget while demand for parks and forests
have grown. With over 40 million visits a year to parks ALONE, our parks and forests are
economic engines, BRINGING money into the Pennsylvania economy through small businesses
in the communities that surround them, jobs for the people who work in them, and tourism
dollars from the people who visit them. A dollar invested in our parks and forests brings $12.50
back to the Commonwealth.
For a detailed overview of the impact these cuts will likely have on the Department,
please see DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn's letter to the House Environmental Resources
and Energy Committee shortly after House Bill 218 PASSED.
What we ask is that the Department be funded at AT LEAST its "cost to carry" level,
maintaining the status quo. In a perfect world, the Department would see a reversal of 15 years
of cuts.
What cannot be borne is a further reduction in funding, staffing, maintenance, and your
constitutional right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, and
aesthetic value of the environment for all the people and generations yet to come.
What can you do?
-- Take a moment to contact your legislators. Suggested text of a letter or email can be found on
our news blog. Personalize it with your own experiences and priorities.
-- Stay informed through our blog at Save Our Parks and Forests and Take Action Tuesday.
-- Share this email and the links with at least two friends.
-- Share any feedback you receive from your elected officials with us that might help us in our
efforts to conserve YOUR state parks and forests.
Thank you. Together, we CAN Save Our Parks and Forests from another round of
short-sighted budgetary drama!
Marci J. Mowery, President
PS: Are you on Instagram? If posting pictures of our state parks and forests, consider
using our hashtags #SaveOurStateParks # PaBudget #Pennsylvania
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Parks &
Forests Foundation website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Foundation,
Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to become a member of the
Foundation.
Related Stories:
Republican Budget
Ahead
Op-Ed: Parks, Forest and RecreationEssential To Pennsylvania Health And Economy
By Marci Mowery, President, PA Parks & Forests Foundation & Tim Herd, Executive Director,
PA Recreation & Parks Society
Seventy-three percent of adults surveyed across

Pennsylvania and 68 percent of primary care clinic
visitors in Hershey, Dauphin County, consider parks,
trails, and open space to be a critical part of the health
care system, according to a recent Penn State study.
Yet these same parks, forests, trails and open
spaces are threatened by the current budget proposal
(House Bill 218) which looks to reduce the Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
estimated cost-to-carry budget by 16 percent, or $60 million.
DCNR is the agency that manages our state parks and forests, invests in community
recreation and trail development, and supports the preservation of open space across
Pennsylvania.
Cuts to the already tight DCNR budget could have devastating impacts to the systems we
all appreciate, not just for their health benefits, but also for the quality of life and economic
benefits they bring to local communities.
A 2010 study by the Pennsylvania State University found that for every $1 of taxpayer
money invested in a state park, more than $12.50 came back to the state in tax revenue.
These parks, many of which are rural, support over 12,000 jobs in the local communities
that surround them and support $1.1 billion in sales.
Community parks are their own economic engines, with a 2013 study by the National
Recreation and Parks Association showing that on a national scale, they support over $1.6 billion
in economic activity annually.
Parks, forests and open space also provide ecological benefits that translate into
economic benefits.
For example, in the Lehigh Valley open space provides $355 million in water supply,
flood control, pollination, and habitat services. In Philadelphia, 10,344 acres of parkland saved
$5.9 million in stormwater management costs.
Improved quality of life because of access to parks, forests, recreation, and trails also
contributes to the economic well-being of the commonwealth through increased property values,
creation of livable communities that attract businesses and industry, and provide access to
programmable space for engaging the public.
The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage generates more than $40 million in revenue each
year, while the area known as the Pennsylvania Wilds created more than 370 jobs based on
outdoor tourism since 2008, and generates more than $1.7 billion annually through visitor
spending.
Despite all of the evidence supporting a need to invest in the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources, whose budget is only one-half of one percent of the overall budget of the
Commonwealth, we are instead faced with devastating cuts which could mean:
-- Shortened camping seasons, potentially removing shoulder seasons that accommodate anglers
and hunters
-- Significantly reduced access to overnight accommodations of all kinds
-- Reduction in staffing that keep visitors safe, that educate the public, and that keep our parks
and forests running smoothly
-- Reduced visitor center hours in state parks
-- Elimination of capacity to meet the demand for new or connector trails
-- Reduction in routine maintenance, such as lawn mowing, bathroom cleaning, tree trimming
-- Increased deferred maintenance, leading to potentially more costs down the road
-- Staff shortages for the high risk fire season
-- Reduced bridge and dam inspections
-- Inability to purchase heavy equipment that maintains roads and fights wildfires
-- Limited staffing in the mineral division to oversee lease transactions, audits, etc.
-- Reduced investment in community recreation and open space
The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and the Pennsylvania Recreation and
Parks Society represent the volunteers and professionals who dedicate their time, treasure, and
energy to making Pennsylvania a great place to live, work, and play, and represent the users who
benefit from being in the outdoors.
We recognize that access to recreation, parks, forests, and trails are critical to the
economy, the environment, and to the health and well-being of all residents.
We urge the General Assembly to invest in a cost-to-carry budget for the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, to fully staff DCNR operations, and to provide the access
to recreation and economic vitality all Pennsylvanians want and need.
Invest in state parks, forests and recreation, for the health of our economy and our people.
Foundation.
For more information on programs, initiatives, special events, workshops and grant
opportunities, visit the PA Recreation and Park Society webpage. Click Here to sign up for
regular updates from the Society and Like them on Facebook. Click Here to become a member.
Related Stories:
Republican Budget
Ahead
Sen. Corman: Budget Spend Number About The Same As The House
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) told the media after a
budget meeting with the House Wednesday he hopes to get the gaming
bill back out of the Senate next week and is looking at an FY 2017-18
spend number about the same as the House $31.52 billion.
On gaming, Sen. Corman said he hopes the issue of video
gaming terminals can be set aside temporarily since its a big issue in its
own right. There are enough of other differences in the bill to be
worked out between the House and Senate versions of gaming, he said,
like the local share and differing tax rates.
He acknowledged that any gaming bill will not really start to
bring in revenue until sometime next year.
Sen. Corman said everyone knows there is a $1.5 billion hole in
the $31.53 FY 2016-17 budget and they will be working to fill that without resorting to
increasing broad-based taxes.
Finding ways to support [the House $31.52 billion spend number] will be challenging
enough without going higher, Sen. Corman said.
He said workgroups have been formed on budget-related bills, like the Fiscal Code,
Education Code, Welfare Code, etc.
Revised Revenue Estimate
The Independent Fiscal Office Thursday released updated revenue estimates for FY
2016-17 and FY 2017-18 that are $820 million lower than estimates they released last year.
However, the revised FY 2017-18 revenue estimate is $32.49 billion, which is nearly $1
billion higher than the $31.52 billion budget passed by House Republicans in April. (Click Here
for more.)
NewsClips:
Improvements
Related Stories:
Ahead
Republican Budget
House Republicans Pass Budget Proposal With Across-The-Board Cuts Again
House Republicans Budget Deals Crippling Blow To DCNR Budget, Leads To Layoffs
Agriculture Expresses Concerns Over Potential Impacts Of House Republican Budget
Growing Greener Rally For Clean Water, Parks, Trails, Open Space, Family Farms Funding
Republican Budget
The Independent Fiscal Office Thursday released updated revenue estimates for FY 2016-17 and
FY 2017-18 that are $820 million lower than estimates they released last year.
FY 2016-17 unrestricted General Fund revenues are estimated to be $31.61 billion, $900
million below the estimate issued by the IFO at the beginning of the fiscal year. Receipts for the
current year are expected to increase by $709 million (2.3 percent) from the prior year.
Each of the three largest General Fund revenue sources, corporate net income, sales and
use and personal income taxes, underperformed in FY 2016-17, Knittel noted.
Lower-than-expected collections largely are attributable to a decline in corporate profits and
weak consumer spending. Income shifting from 2016 to 2017 in anticipation of lower federal tax
rates also contributed to the variance between actual and estimated collections.
FY 2017-18 unrestricted General Fund revenues are projected to be $32.49 billion, an
increase of $880 million (2.8 percent) over FY 2016-17.
The projection is made on a current law basis, and it does not include the impact of
proposed changes to statute.
House Republicans passed a budget on April 4 with a $31.52 billion spend number,
which Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) said Wednesday the Senate would like to
match. (Click Here for more.)
The Pennsylvania economy is expected to grow moderately in FY 2017-18, Knittel
said. Revenue growth for next fiscal year may receive a modest boost from the income shifting
that likely reduced current-year collections. However, the overall growth rate will be constrained
by the absence of one-time revenues received in FY 2016-17 and various technical factors.
The updated projection for FY 2016-17 is $1.17 billion below the estimate certified by
the administration at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Relative to the revenue projections contained in Februarys Executive Budget
presentation, these projections are $692 million lower for FY 2016-17 and $128 million lower
for FY 2017-18, for a two-year difference of -$820 million.
These amounts exclude the proposed statutory changes identified in the Executive
Budget.
There is an open question about whether the Commonwealth will receive the same level
of federal funding in the year ahead with the Trump Administration proposing significant cuts to
grants received by states.
Click Here for a copy of the revenue estimate report.
NewsClips:
Improvements
Related Articles:
Ahead
House Republicans Pass Budget Proposal With Across-The-Board Cuts Again
House Republicans Budget Deals Crippling Blow To DCNR Budget, Leads To Layoffs
Agriculture Expresses Concerns Over Potential Impacts Of House Republican Budget
Growing Greener Rally For Clean Water, Parks, Trails, Open Space, Family Farms Funding
[Posted: June 15, 2017
The Senate Tuesday unanimously passed Senate Bill 646

(Killion-R-Delaware) that would prevent a funding crisis in the
states Recycling Program by eliminating the expiration date
for the Act 101 $2 per ton recycling fee on waste disposed in
Pennsylvania.
DEP has already stopped accepting new applications for
local recycling implementation grants until the fee issue is
resolved by the General Assembly. The fee was due to sunset
on January 1, 2020.
The recycling grants are critical to supporting local and
county curbside and drop-off recycling programs that provide 94 percent of the states
population with access to recycling their household waste.
The $2/ton fee is projected to bring in about $38 million in FY 2016-17, however, the
General Assembly used $9 million of that revenue to balance the states General Fund budget
(page H69).
The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, PA Resources Council, PA Environmental
Council and many other groups are supporting reauthorization of the fee.
The bill was referred to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee for
action. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available.
For more information on Act 101 and recycling in Pennsylvania, visit DEPs Recycling
In PA webpage.
Related Stories:
Renewing Recycling Fee, Illegal Dumping, Fixing E-Waste Recycling Law Key Issues At
Hearing On Act 101
DEP Urges Reauthorization Of $2 Recycling Fee Before Joint Conservation Committee
Keep PA Beautiful: Act 101 Good At Recycling, Building Safe Disposal, Not So Much On
Illegal Dumping, Education
PRC, Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network Host Future Of Recycling & Act 101 Round
Table In PA June 29
Republican Budget
Ahead
The House Monday passed a package of four bills authorizing local

governments to charge fees to implement local stormwater pollution
reduction programs all sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming), one
of Pennsylvanias members and current chair of the interstate Chesapeake
Bay Commission.
The bills include--
-- House Bill 913 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the adoption of
stormwater fees by incorporated towns;
-- House Bill 914 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the adoption of
stormwater fees by boroughs;
-- House Bill 915 (Everett-R-Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by first
class townships; and
-- House Bill 916 (Everett-R-Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by Cities
of the Third Class.
In July of 2016, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Wolf signed into law House Bill
1325 (Mustio-D-Allegheny) authorizing townships of the second class to levy stormwater fees
(now Act 62).
In July of 2014, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Corbett signed into law Senate
Bill 1255 (Erickson-R-Delaware) authorizing municipalities to establish municipal authorities
for the purpose of implementing stormwater pollution prevention programs (Act 123).
The bills are now in the Senate Local Government Committee.
Related Stories:
Ahead
Republican Budget
PUC Distributes $173 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees, Down $14.5M, More
Reductions Ahead
The Public Utility Commission Thursday posted detailed

information about this years distribution of Impact Fees
on natural gas producers, totaling $173,258,900, on the
PUCs interactive Act 13 website.
This years distribution is approximately $14.5 million
lower than last year, and down 27 percent from the
highest amount collected in 203 of $225.7 million.
The changes this year are driven by a continued reduction
in the price of natural gas which again resulted in a
$5,000 per well reduction in the fee paid this year along
with the increasing age of many wells, which also reduces the per-well fee.
The Act 13 fee program has also been hit with an adverse Commonwealth Court decision
in March which would reduce Act 13 fee revenue another $16 million per year. The PUC
appealed the ruling in April and Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) introduced House Bill 1283 to fix
the program legislatively, if needed.
The decline this year has also resulted in funding changes for many individual
municipalities, as detailed on the PUCs Act 13 website.
Over the past six years, the PUC has collected and distributed more than $1.2 billion in
Impact Fees to communities across Pennsylvania.
Range Resources, EQT Production Company, Chesapeake Energy, SWN Production
Company, Cabot Oil & Gas, Repsol Oil & Gas and Seneca pay the most in fees, in that order.
County and municipal governments directly affected by drilling will receive a total of
$93,128,340 for the 2016 disbursement year. Washington, Susquehanna, Bradford, Green,
Lycoming, Tioga and Butler counties receive the most funding, in that order.
Additionally, $62,085,600 will be placed into the Marcellus Legacy Fund, which
provides financial support for environmental, highway, water and sewer projects, rehabilitation
of greenways and other projects throughout the state.
Also, $18 million will be distributed to state agencies specified by the Act.
The PUC has forwarded the information for payment and expects checks to be distributed
in early July.
Extensive details regarding the Impact Fee distribution are available online, including
specifics on funds collected and distributed for each year since 2011.
Visitors can search and download statistics such as distributions to individual
municipalities or counties; allocation and usage of those funds, based on reports submitted by
various municipalities; eligible wells per county/municipality; and payments by producers.
The PUCs is responsible for implementing the imposition, collection and distribution of
an unconventional gas well fee (also called a drilling impact fee) was established by the
Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act, signed into law as Act 13 of 2012.
For more information, visit the PUCs Act 13 website.
(Chart: Act 13 drilling fee revenue by year.)
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
PUC Intends To Appeal Court Ruling Jeopardizing Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Collections
Cabot Drilling Paid $1.5 Billion In Royalties, Signing Bonuses In Susquehanna, Wyoming
Counties
PA Environmental Restoration, Park, Land Conservation Project Funding Cut 75 Percent
Senate OKs Bill To Allow General Assembly To Kill Regulations By Doing Nothing
The Senate Tuesday voted 29 to 20, largely along party-lines,

to pass Senate Bill 561 (Disanto-R- Dauphin) which allows
the General Assembly to kill state regulations by doing
nothing.
The bill requires an up or down vote by the General
Assembly on every final regulation approved by the
Independent Regulatory Review Commission, if that
regulation has a fiscal impact of $1 million or more.
If no action is taken, the final regulation would be
deemed disapproved and cannot take effect.
Under the legislation, the estimated cost of a regulation must be verified by the
Independent Fiscal Office. There is no requirement the benefits of the regulation be calculated
or compared to the cost.
Groups like the PA Environmental Council have opposed the legislation saying
Pennsylvania already has one of the most robust regulatory review processes in the United States
with multiple opportunities for stakeholders and the General Assembly to influence the content
of regulation, including having members of the Senate and House sitting on the Environmental
Quality Board that adopts DEPs regulations.
The Council also raised a concern about the constitutionality of Senate Bill 561 with
respect to separation of powers of the legislative and executive branches of government.
The bill now goes to the House for action. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is
available.
(Photo: French Reign Of Terror, circa 1793-94.)
NewsClips:
Senate Passes Bill To Give Legislature Power To Kill Costly Regulations
Bill To Give Legislature Extra Regulatory Power Moves Forward
House Committee Meets June 19 To Roll Back Environmental Standards For Mining
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on June 19 to
consider two bills rolling back environmental protection measures from surface and deep coal
mining and legislation on certifying mine emergency responders.
The bills include--
-- Senate Bill 2624 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) retroactively rolling back protections for streams from
deep coal mining that passed the Senate last week on a party-line vote with Republicans
supporting. (Click Here for more)
-- House Bill 1333 (Gabler-R-Clearfield) eliminating the current DEP limit on how long surface
mine operators can temporarily cease mining operations from 180 days to the federal standard of
what could be years (Click Here for more); and
-- House Bill 1341 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) providing for the certification of bituminous coal mine
emergency medical responders (sponsor summary).
The meeting will be held in Room 205 of the Ryan Building. There is no specific time
for the meeting. It will be called Off the Floor by the Speaker at some point after the House
convenes.
Rep. John Maher (R-Allegheny) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental
Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: jmaher@pahousegop.com. Rep. Mike
Carroll serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
mcarroll@pahouse.net.
PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds
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issues and programs.
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Twitter feed to get instant updates on other news from in and around the Pennsylvania State
Capitol.
Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Govs Schedule/ Bills Introduced
Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees
scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--
Bill Calendars
House (June 19): House Resolution 284 (Moul-R-Adams) urging Congress to repeal the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agencys MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (sponsor
summary). <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (June 19): Senate Bill 144 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) amending Act 537 ton include alternative
on-lot sewage systems in sewage plans (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R-Luzerne)
adds natural gas gathering lines to the PA One Call utility construction safety program so they
can be identified and mapped for emergency services (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 431
(Scavello-R-Monroe) increasing fines for littering (sponsor summary); <> Click Here for full
Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

Note: This is budget season. House and Senate committees can add and cancel meetings with
little notice.
House: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill
1333 (Gabler-R-Clearfield) eliminate the current DEP limit on how long surface mine operators
can temporarily cease mining operations from 180 days to the federal standard of what could be
years (Click Here for more), House Bill 1341 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) providing for the certification
of bituminous coal mine emergency medical responders (sponsor summary), Senate Bill 2624
(Scarnati-R-Jefferson) retroactively rolling back protections for streams from deep coal mining
(Click Here for more); the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee holds an
informational meeting to discuss the use of micro grids to provide reliable energy distribution,
especially during disaster emergencies and meets to consider House Bill 1412
(Barrar-R-Delaware) establishing the Energy Resiliency & Emergency Preparedness Act to
deploy new technologies to deal with electric system outages (sponsor summary); the State
Government Committee holds a hearing on state regulations: potential solutions to improving
oversight and relieving regulatory burdens; the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
meets to consider House Bill 1518 (Causer-R-Cameron) further providing for the appointment of
members to the Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board (sponsor summary), House
Bill 1550 (Klunk-R-York) amend the Agricultural Area Security Law allowing for the voluntary
relinquish the right to construct a residence (sponsor summary). <> Click Here for full House
Committee Schedule.
Senate: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider Senate Bill
334 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include private lateral
rehabilitation or replacement of sewer lines in PennVEST funding applications - no funding
source identified (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 639 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a
municipality or authority to include private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of water lines in
PennVEST funding applications - no funding source identified (sponsor summary); Senate Bill
692 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) amends to Sewage Facilities Act to increase what a local agency
may charge from $25 to $100 (sponsor summary); House Bill 290 (Metzgar-R-Bedford)
providing for legislative appointments to the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board
(House Fiscal Note and summary); the Local Government Committee meets to consider Senate
Bill 656 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorize local governments to make funds available to repair or
replace lateral water lines contaminated with lead (sponsor summary); the Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill 187 (Sonney-R-Erie) further authorize
wind energy facilities on preserved farmland (House Fiscal Note and summary), House Bill 790
(Pashinski-D-Luzerne) establishing the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee (House
Fiscal Note and summary). <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.
Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in
each--
House
Appropriations
Education
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Affairs
Gaming Oversight
Human Services
Judiciary
Liquor Control
Transportation
Links for all other Standing House Committees
Senate
Appropriations
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Community, Economic and Recreational Development
Education
Judiciary
Law and Justice
Public Health and Welfare
Transportation
Links for all other Standing Senate Committees
Bills Introduced
The following bills of interest were introduced last week--
Pollinator Week: House Resolution 387 (Matzie-D-Allegheny) designating week of June 19 to

25 Pollinator Week in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary).
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
June 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
House
June 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, & 30
Governors Schedule
Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day
will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolfs Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.
Bills On Governor's Desk
The following bills were given final approval by the Senate and House and are now on the
Governor's desk for action--
Banning Plastic Bag Bans: House Bill 1071 (Farry-R-Bucks) to prevent the imposition of a
ban, fee or surcharge on recyclable plastic bags (House Fiscal Note and summary).
Senate/House Bills Moving
The following bills of interest saw action last week in the House and Senate--
House
Local Stormwater Fees: House Bill 913 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the adoption of
stormwater fees by incorporated towns, House Bill 914 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the
adoption of stormwater fees by boroughs, House Bill 915 (Everett-R-Lycoming) providing for
the adoption of stormwater fees by first class townships, House Bill 916 (Everett-R-Lycoming)
providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by Cities of the Third Class were reported from the
House Appropriations Committee and were passed by the House. The bills now go to the Senate
for action.
Purchase Of Federal Timber: House Bill 1494 (Rapp-R-Forest) authorizing the state to enter
into a cooperative agreement with federal agencies for the purpose of selling timber on federal
land was reported from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and referred to the
House Appropriations Committee.
Uniform Construction Code: House Bill 1469 (Heffley-R- Carbon) authorize municipalities to
use third-party agencies to enforce the Uniform Construction Code was amended and reported
out of the House Labor and Industry Committee and referred to the House Rules committee as all
bills are this time of year.
Leaf Waste: House Bill 927 (Rader-R- Monroe) mandating curbside leaf pick up programs
(sponsor summary) was reported from the House Local Government Committee and referred to
the House Rules Committee as all bills are this time of year.
Philadelphia Parks Day: House Resolution 379 (Brown-D-Philadelphia) designating June 12 as

Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Day was adopted by the House.
Senate
Banning Plastic Bag Bans: House Bill 1071 (Farry-R-Bucks) to prevent the imposition of a
ban, fee or surcharge on recyclable plastic bags (House Fiscal Note and summary) was referred
into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed by the Senate without changes.
The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.
Eliminating Sunset For Recycling Fee: Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R-Delaware) would prevent a
funding crisis in the states Recycling Program by eliminating the expiration date for the Act 101
$2 per ton recycling fee on waste disposed in Pennsylvania was passed unanimously by the
Senate. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available. The bill now goes to the House for
action. (Click Here for more.)
Approval Of Regulations: Senate Bill 561 (Disanto-R-Dauphin) which requires an up or down

vote by the General Assembly on every final regulation approved by the Independent Regulatory
Review Commission if that regulation has a fiscal impact of $1 million or more. If the General
Assembly does not vote, the regulation would die was passed by the Senate by a vote of 29 to 20
largely along party lines with Republicans supporting. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is
available. The bill now goes to the House for action. (Click Here for more.)
Storage Tank Program Funding: Senate Bill 649 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) would fill a
significant funding gap in DEPs Underground Storage Tank Program (sponsor summary) was
referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Uniform Construction Code: Senate Bill 663 (Laughlin-R- Erie) authorize municipalities to
use third-party agencies to enforce the Uniform Construction Code (sponsor summary) was
reported out of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for
action.
Quartz Official Mineral: Senate Bill 610 (Killion-R-Delaware) to designate quartz as the
official state mineral (sponsor summary) was reported out of the Senate State Government
Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.
News From The Capitol
Hearing On Act 101
Presenters told the Joint Senate/House Air and

Water Pollution Control and Conservation
Committee Tuesday it is critical the General
Assembly authorize the $2 recycling fee which
supports waste and recycling programs, fix the
broken electronics recycling law and engage
stakeholders in a more comprehensive review
of updates needed to the 1988 Act 101
recycling and municipal waste law.
Also noted as important is to get a better picture of the states waste stream and how it
has changed which will no doubt result in changes to the Act 101.
In his introduction to the hearing, Committee Chair Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango)
said the Joint Conservation Committee has had a major role in shaping recycling in Pennsylvania
through hearings and studies of the issue in the past and said Act 101 and recycling has been a
real success story.
George Hartenstein, Acting DEP Deputy For Waste, Air, Radiation and Remediation,
first thanked the members for their support for legislation to extend or eliminate the January 1,
2020 sunset date-- Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R-Delaware)-- which is critical to the success of the
program.
He did note, with inflation, the current $2 recycling fee is actually worth about 97 cents
today.
Hartenstein said in 1988 recycling and waste disposal was much different than it is today.
Pennsylvania had 1,500 local dumps, and no one was responsible for planning for safe and
adequate waste disposal capacity.
The amount of Pennsylvania municipal waste disposed in landfills increased by over 1.9
million tons from 1988 to 2004, but since 2013 the waste disposed has leveled off at
approximately 14 million tons.
Today, about 90 percent of the states population has access to recycling and 10.3 million
tons of materials were recycled in 2015. There is now a whole generation who did not know a
time when recycling was not done in Pennsylvania.
He said the recycling industry employs directly and indirectly more than 170,000 people
in Pennsylvania and contributes more than $1.7 billion in state and local tax revenue.
Hartenstein said, however, illegal dumping continues to be an issue as well as adequate
rural recycling and waste disposal opportunities.
He outlined these general recommendations--
-- Updated waste composition study is needed to identify the characteristics of todays waste
stream. A study would provide information on whether the state should change the way progress
is measured from by weight to volume;
-- Expand recycling requirements to include more materials as options;
-- County waste plans should better reflect integrated waste management principles;
-- Expand the use of county recycling coordinators to better develop local recycling;
-- Expand opportunities for rural recycling by establishing drop off convenience centers;
-- Provide incentives for manufacturing and commercial entities to implement their own
recycling programs;
-- Provide incentives in designing recyclable containers and products; and
-- Renew focus on waste reduction programs.
Barbara Baker, Professional Recyclers of PA, first outlined the professional certification,
education and other services of her organization.
Baker said Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R-Delaware), removing the current sunset fee on the
$2 recycling fee, is critical to the survival and functioning the Pennsylvanias recycling program
since it generates about $38 million to pay for for local recycling grants, waste planning grants,
county recycling coordinators, funding for the PA Recycling Markets Center and more.
If the fee is not reauthorized, said Baker, where would the funding come from to support
local programs?
In response to a question about electronics was recycling, Baker noted that is covered
under a separate law-- the Covered Device Recycling Act. She said there are significant issues
with the availability of electronics waste recycling services and that is being worked on in the
General Assembly.
Asked by Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee, about encouraging more glass recycling, like a recent change
in Ohios glass recycling program, Baker said the waste stream has a lot less glass in now and
more plastic than it did in 1988. She said she would look at the Ohio effort.
Tim ODonnell, PA Waste Industries Association, said the private waste haulers handles
87 percent of the municipal waste disposed in Pennsylvania.
He noted in the 1980s the state was facing a crisis in waste disposal capacity. To deal
with that crisis, Act 101 fixed authority with the counties to plan for waste disposal capacity,
linked new permits to the waste plans and encouraged partnerships with the private waste
disposal industry for disposal and hauling services.
ODonnell noted private industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in
recycling facilities throughout the state.
Changes recommended by the Association include--
-- Eliminate mandate to conduct planning for future waste disposal capacity by counties for
facilities they do not own or operate and limited planning to county-owned facilities;
-- Require all waste haulers to provide curbside recycling in all communities, since it has evolved
into a standard service and eliminate the current population threshold of 5,000 and above in Act
101;
-- Encourage the use of single stream recycling for more recyclable materials and require the
disposal of leaf waste in facilities to generate electricity and eliminate the provision in Act 101
limiting the processing of leaf waste only by composting; and
-- Fully supports reauthorization of the $2 recycling fee which should be used for recycling
planning and for household hazardous waste collection.
ODonnell also recommended steps to deal with the electronics waste recycling by
allowing private waste industry to charge for the recycling of leaded glass CRTs, TVs and
electronics waste. He said there is significant illegal dumping going on now with e-waste around
the state.
Richard Bapst, PA Independent Waste Haulers, which represents the little guys in the
waste hauling business, made these recommendations in changing Act 101--
-- Prohibit competition with the private waste companies by municipalities and authorities. He
used the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority as an example because, he said, it regularly bids
against private industry for waste hauling and charges higher fees for the disposal of waste by
private haulers;
-- Eliminate incentives and interpretations of Act 101 that promote municipalities to contract
with a single hauler for their waste services;
-- Eliminate county and other fees for recycling other than the fees specifically authorized by Act
101;
-- Companies collecting and disposing of electronics waste should be allowed to charge for those
services to prevent the illegal dumping and temporarily lift the current ban on disposal of e-waste
in landfills. He noted he saw several TVs along the road coming to the hearing this morning;
and
-- Stricter guidelines on the spending of grants given to municipalities for recycling.
Elam Herr, PA Association of Township Supervisors, noted local recycling have been a
success and more communities not mandated to recycle are recycling and they now exceed the
number of communities required to recycle under Act 101.
He said he would not have bet on that outcome nearly 30 years ago when Act 101 was
passed.
He noted, however, local recycling programs have not been financially sustainable and
also supported reauthorizing the $2 recycling fee without a sunset to support these programs. He
added recycling funds should not be taken away to fund other programs, like has happened in
recent years.
Herr said a particular problem is the recycling of electronics wastes, saying some of his
members have trailers full of e-waste that cannot be recycled.
He encouraged working with all stakeholders that deal with Act 101 to come up with
changes to the law.
Lisa Schaefer, County Commissioners Association, agreed with other presenters that Act
101 has been a success and noted counties have often taken on the more difficult challenge of
recycling and disposing of items like waste tires and household hazardous waste.
Schaefer said they do think county authority should continue in waste planning, but also
agreed a comprehensive review of Act 101 by stakeholders is needed.
She said continued funding, through the $2 recycling fee, is critical and they support
Senate Bill 646.
While noting counties have expanded recycling with supplemental services, a court
decision eliminated waste administration fees many counties adopted to fund these services as
well as mandated waste planning and recycling.
Schaefer said the issue of electronics waste recycling should be addressed by the General
Assembly because many counties have stopped offering e-waste recycling services.
Bob Bylone, PA Recycling Markets Center, noted the waste stream dealt with now in
recycling and waste disposal programs is much different than in 1988, citing the significant drop
of newsprint, replacing tuna cans with tuna pouches and more plastics.
These changes in the waste stream mean changes are needed in collection, processing,
marketing and disposal operations and methods.
Bylone illustrated some case studies of how the Center has encouraged the recycling of
glass, materials used by the Marcellus Shale drilling industry, paper and other materials.
He said one step that could be taken to encourage more recycled content products is to
adopt tax credit incentives to purchase these products.
Bylone said Act 101 is critical to assure recyclers that materials will be collected for
feedstock for their processes. One improvement to the Act 101 programs, particularly in more
rural areas, is to establish convenience centers to fill the gaps now in recycling and waste
programs.
Bylone noted Sen. Richard Alloway (R-Franklin) is now working on legislation to try and
fix the electronics waste recycling program.
Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful and Michele Nestor, President of Nestor
Resources, Inc. and a board chairman of the PA Recycling Markets Center submitted written
testimony to the Committee.
Committee Accepting Comments
The Committee is accepting comments on Act 101 and Pennsylvanias recycling
program for the next 90 days. Comments should be sent to Tony Guerriei, Executive Director of
the Committee, by email to: tguerrieri@jcc.legis.state.pa.us.
For more background on Act 101, visit DEPs Recycling In Pennsylvania webpage.
Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Chair of the Joint Conservation
Committee.
For more information, visit the Joint Conservation Committee website, Like them on
Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the
Committee.
NewsClips:
Wolf Weighs Bill To Block Municipal Plastic Bag Bans, Fees
Thompson: Bill Prohibiting Local Plastic Bag Bans, Fees Heads To Wolf
Zwick: Senate OKs Bill That Protects Plastic Bags
Legislature Moves To Protect Plastic Bags From Local Governments
Senate Sends Bill To Wolf Prohibiting Local Bans, Fees On Plastic Bags
Recycling Efforts Pay Off In Elk, McKean, Potter Counties
Letter: Thoughtless People Ruined Erie Area Recycling Center
Lancaster Offers Free Collection For Tires June 24
Wilkes-Barre To Hold Curbside Collection Of Old Tires June 19-23
Get Ready For Entire Concert Inspired By Blowing Trash In Philly
Lycoming County Dues Dillsburg Firm Over Worthless Landfill Leachate Tank
Related Stories:
Table In PA June 29
KPB: Act 101 Good At Recycling, Building Safe Disposal, Not So Much On Illegal
Dumping, Education
In testimony submitted to the Joint Conservation

Committee for a hearing Tuesday, June 13, Keep
PA Beautiful President Sharon Reiter said the
1988 Recycling and Waste Reduction law (Act
101) succeeded in creating the biggest curbside
recycling program in the nation and encouraged
safe sites for waste disposal.
However, Act 101 has fallen short in preventing
illegal dumping, educating the public on waste
issues and does not do enough to promote
convenient and affordable access to recycling and
waste disposal services in many areas of the state,
said Reiter.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful advocates for a comprehensive approach to waste
management that ensures universal access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and
recycling in Pennsylvania, she said.
Pointing to the conclusions and recommendations in KPBs 2014 report, Illegal Dumping
in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Discovery, Recommended Policies and Programs for Future
Prevention and Enforcement, Reiter said Act 101 should be amended to address these issues--
-- At the residential level:
-- Ensure that all residents have universal access to waste and recycling collection;
-- Expand curbside collection;
-- Provide for collection of bulk items and appliances at curbside or at convenient drop-off
facilities;
-- Shift county municipal waste planning from disposal capacity to universal access;
-- Promote municipal contracts to control costs and universal services; and
-- Institute a subsidy for eligible low income households.
-- At the commercial level:
-- Require proof of disposal for all building or demolition projects and prior to granting local
occupancy permits would most likely mitigate commercial dumping;
-- Expand waste transporter authorization to include small contractors, remodelers and roofers;
and
-- Require waste tire transporters to submit logs, or for transporters, processors and retailers to
utilize a manifest system to track loads of tires.
Reiter also made the case for new recycling and waste convenience centers, especially in
more rural areas, so residents have access to these services and to prevent what has become a
significant problem and cost for local governments-- illegal dumping at recycling drop-off sites.
We believe that the high rate of dumping at these sites makes a strong case for building
a system of convenience centers where residents can take their waste and recycling for proper
management, said Reiter. These centers should be able to collect a fee for bagged trash and
other materials such as couches, mattresses, or other large bulky items. The money saved from
cleaning up roadside dumps coupled with revenue from the collected materials will help off-set
costs.
Reiter also points to the need to do more public education on waste disposal and
recycling issues as a way to prevent problems.
One of the state goals of Act 101 [Section 301(14)] is that each person living or working
in the Commonwealth shall be taught the economic, environmental and energy value of recycling
and waste reduction and shall be encouraged through a variety of means to participate in such
activities, said Reiter. We believe that the State needs to do better.
KPB recommends the state implement a statewide consumer-based multimedia
education campaign on recycling and waste management that reinforces the social, economic and
environmental benefits of recycling as well as the costs of mismanaging these materials.
In addition, we believe that waste and recycling education should be incorporated into
early education programs.
Ensuring universal access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and recycling in
Pennsylvania will help meet the primary objective of Act 101, addressing improper municipal
waste practices that create public health hazards, environmental pollution and economic loss, and
cause irreparable harm to the public health, safety and welfare.
In closing, we encourage stakeholders at all levels to incorporate the findings and
recommendations of our report as they review Act 101 and consider how waste and recycling is
managed in Pennsylvania, said Reiter. We believe that this is an opportunity to consider a
more comprehensive approach to waste and recycling management and move towards universal
access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and recycling.
June 13 Joint Conservation Committee Hearing
The Joint Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee is scheduled to
hold a hearing on June 13 to review the Act 101 Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and
Waste Reduction Act Programs. Click Here to watch the hearing live online.
June 29 Round Table On Future Of Recycling & Act 101
Join the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania
Resources Council on June 29 for a Round Table On The Future of Recycling in Pennsylvania.
Full Text Of KPB Testimony
The full text of the Keep PA Beautiful testimony follows--
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is grateful for the opportunity to submit written testimony
as part of the June 13, 2017, Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation
Committees Public Hearing regarding Act 101 of 1988, the Municipal Waste Planning
Recycling and Waste Reduction Act.
I regret that I am unavailable to present these comments in person and welcome the
opportunity to discuss them with members of the Committee or staff and or provide testimony at
any future hearings.
When reviewing the states recycling and waste reduction law, it is clear that Act 101
succeeded in creating the biggest curbside recycling program in the nation and encouraged safe
sites for waste disposal.
However, Act 101 has fallen short in preventing illegal dumping, educating the public on
waste issues and does not do enough to promote convenient and affordable access to recycling
and waste disposal services in many areas of the state.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful advocates for a comprehensive approach to waste
management that ensures universal access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and
recycling in Pennsylvania. It is with that ultimate goal, that I share the following information
with you.
Illegal Dumping
The number one objective of Act 101 was to prevent improper municipal waste practices
that create public health hazards, environmental pollution and economic loss and cause
irreparable harm to the public health, safety and welfare [Section 102(a)(1)].
I urge members of the Committee to review Keep Pennsylvania Beautifuls Illegal
Dumping in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Discovery, Recommended Policies and Programs for
Future Prevention and Enforcement (2014). This report has been formally submitted as part of
this testimony but can also be accessed directly from our website.
The purpose of Keep Pennsylvania Beautifuls study, prepared in cooperation with
Nestor Resources, Inc., was to document the full extent of illegal dumping in Pennsylvania,
beginning with information gathered by KPB and supplemented by other sources, including
surveys, cleanups, stakeholder focus groups and a public opinion poll.
The report represents the final stage of ongoing efforts of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
(KPB) to identify where and how illegal dumping occurs. This report offers practical,
cost-effective solutions and accountability measures to address improper disposal of waste.
Based on the conclusions of the analysis, the project provides recommendations to
significantly reduce illegal dumping, a primary objective of Act 101.
These include mechanisms to raise awareness about recycling and proper waste
management and provide universal access to convenient and affordable waste disposal and
recycling.
Pennsylvania has made great strides in municipal waste management over the last four
decades. The eradication of nearly 1,500 open municipal dumps, followed by the permitting and
construction of safer, state-of-the-art disposal facilities has prevented pollution and created a
cleaner and healthier environment.
Act 101 is a good example of legislation that includes preemptive measures to encourage
proper waste management and stop illegal dumping before it occurs by mandating the
implementation of curbside recycling collection programs in communities that meet defined
population or population density thresholds, commonly referred to as mandated communities.
Act 101 was amended in 2006 (Act 140) to require mandated communities to provide
curbside collection for municipal waste as well.
Communities that are mandated by Act 101 but receive more than $10,000 in recycling
performance grants, must comply with these same requirements to sustain their eligibility for the
grants.
However, there is no requirements for how recyclables are collected, curbside or
drop-off.
Yet despite these advancements, the behavior of a select segment of the population
namely, illegal dumping continues to plague the Commonwealth and have a costly impact.
Between 2005 and 2013, more than 6,200 of these illegal dumpsites were identified.
Investigating illegal dumping crimes is time-consuming and labor-intensive for both state and
local governments, with each site costing $619 per ton for an average total of $2,947 to
remediate .
However, it is not unusual for costs to be significantly higher.
Illegal dumping is not an isolated problem, as active dump sites have been identified in
every county. Certain commonalities were found both in the materials left at dump sites, and also
in the conditions and circumstances that facilitate the behavior.
There are four categories of illegal dumping: inactive legacy sites, active commercial
waste dumping, active dumping of household waste and theft of service.
Illegal dumping occurs most frequently where the risk of detection and penalties is low,
and where there is a lack of acceptable disposal or recycling outlets.
Items frequently found in these sites include construction and demolition waste, tires, and
bulky items such as furniture, appliances and mattresses. In addition, where theft of service
occurs, household trash is commonly found.
The public has a poor understanding of what constitutes illegal dumping, and even
elected officials are often uncertain how they can ensure that cost-effective, universal access
options are available.
Even law enforcement and judicial officials may not always be aware of the full impact
or the costs to the community.
In Pennsylvania, because waste and recycling is determined and managed largely at the
municipal level, each municipal program has unique variations of services and bidding
requirements or none at all.
This means waste management is more complex, less efficient and costlier. This system
sets up unclear expectations for residents and makes public education about waste and recycling
services costlier and in general, more difficult.
All of these factors combined lead to high contamination rates, poor participation and
illegal dumping.
There are several key points outlined in the report that I urge the Committee to consider
when reviewing Act 101:
-- There is less illegal dumping in areas where there is universal access to waste and recycling
collection.
-- Approximately 85 percent of Pennsylvanias residents claim to have curbside waste collection
but what can be accepted and how often varies greatly from municipality to municipality and
region to region.
-- Cost per home is actually lower where there is a community wide waste and recycling
collection program, commonly known as a municipal contract, than where residents personally
contract these services.
-- If it were made available, more than 87 percent of Pennsylvanians would be willing to take
their household waste, recyclables, or other items not collected at the curb, to a convenient outlet
and pay for the service.
Dumping At Drop-Off Recycling Sites
Additionally, it is widely known that illegal dumping at drop-off recycling bins is an
increasing problem in Pennsylvania.
When individuals place household waste in receptacles paid for by businesses and
individuals, as well as at the drop-off recycling sites of local governments, they are technically
stealing service and can cause legitimate customers prices to increase in order to handle this
extra volume of waste.
To cover the fixed cost of services, honest citizens end up paying more per home for
waste and recycling collection to subsidize the loss of revenue.
Most recently, Washington Township, Erie County announced effective July 1, 2017 they
will close their recycling drop-off site due illegal dumping of trash, electronics and other items
on and around the collection bins.
Erie County reportedly paid an extra $12,000 in extra hauler fees from October through
the end of April due to illegal dumping at drop-offs.
This is an all too common occurrence in Pennsylvania.
However, if we take a step back and reimagine these recycling drop-offs as full service
staffed, waste and recycling convenience centers, we see there is an opportunity. Residents are
already taking their waste and recycling to these locations.
Recycling Convenience Centers
We believe that the high rate of dumping at these sites makes a strong case for building a
system of convenience centers where residents can take their waste and recycling for proper
management.
These convenience centers would be particularly beneficial to communities in rural
Pennsylvania where curbside pickup is not a feasible and where residents are already relying on
recycling drop-offs to recycle their material.
There are convenience center models all across the country. Some are managed by county
or local government while others are contracted to private companies. Some service an entire
counties while others service one or more municipalities.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful does not recommend a specific management model, but
does recommend that they be staffed, contained, have convenient hours of operation and accept
both waste and recycling including tires, electronics and other recyclable materials.
These centers should be able to collect a fee for bagged trash and other materials such as
couches, mattresses, or other large bulky items. The money saved from cleaning up roadside
dumps coupled with revenue from the collected materials will help off-set costs.
Recommendations
In summary, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful recommends the following measures be
considered in order to advance proper waste and recycling management in Pennsylvania:
-- At the residential level:
1. Ensure that all residents have universal access to waste and recycling collection;
2. Expand curbside collection;
3. Develop staffed, convenient drop-off facilities;
4. Provide for collection of bulk items and appliances at curbside or at convenient drop-off
facilities;
5. Shift county municipal waste planning from disposal capacity to universal access;
6. Promote municipal contracts to control costs and universal services; and
7. Institute a subsidy for eligible low income households.
-- At the commercial level:
1. Require proof of disposal for all building or demolition projects and prior to granting
local occupancy permits would most likely mitigate commercial dumping.
2. Expand waste transporter authorization to include small contractors, remodelers and
roofers.
3. Require waste tire transporters to submit logs, or for transporters, processors and retailers
to utilize a manifest system to track loads of tires.
Education
Finally, one of the state goals of Act 101 is that each person living or working in the
Commonwealth shall be taught the economic, environmental and energy value of recycling and
waste reduction and shall be encouraged through a variety of means to participate in such
activities.
We believe that the State needs to do better.
KPB recommends the state implement a statewide consumer-based multimedia education
campaign on recycling and waste management that reinforces the social, economic and
environmental benefits of recycling as well as the costs of mismanaging these materials.
In addition, we believe that waste and recycling education should be incorporated into
early education programs.
Ensuring universal access to convenient and affordable trash disposal and recycling in
Pennsylvania will help meet the primary objective of Act 101, addressing improper municipal
waste practices that create public health hazards, environmental pollution and economic loss, and
cause irreparable harm to the public health, safety and welfare.
Additionally, honest citizens and business owners whose monthly collection rates have
been made artificially high to subsidize those who ignore the law could finally realize a price
break.
Without the added cost of illegal dumping, local governments could put public works
budgets to better uses such as improving local infrastructure.
Resources could be dedicated to enhancing parks and recreational services instead of
removing illegally dumped tires, furniture, appliances and construction debris.
By eliminating the contamination from illegally dumped trash, and instead, allow for the
collection of trash for a fee, local recycling drop-off collection programs could be more
sustainable.
In closing, we encourage stakeholders at all levels to incorporate the findings and
recommendations of our report as they review Act 101 and consider how waste and recycling is
managed in Pennsylvania.
We believe that this is an opportunity to consider a more comprehensive approach to
waste and recycling management and move towards universal access to convenient and
affordable trash disposal and recycling.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member. Click Here to sign up for
regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on
Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.
Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up
communities and keep them clean and KPBs new Electronics Waste website.
(Photo: Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice.)
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Hearing On Act 101
Table In PA June 29
In testimony Tuesday, Department of Environmental Protection

officials urged the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution
Control and Conservation Committee to permanently reauthorize a crucial component of the
landmark Act 101 of 1988 that established Pennsylvanias recycling program.
A $2.00 per ton fee on non-recycled trash is set to expire January 1, 2020, and would
affect grants for local municipality recycling collection programs, as well as other recycling
services if it is not extended.
As a result of Act 101, about 90 percent of the Commonwealths population now has
access to some type of recycling.
In 2015 alone, Pennsylvania recycled more than 10.3 million tons of materials.
Before Act 101 established the recycling program, Pennsylvania had approximately 1,500
local municipal dumps, many at or near capacity.
The $2.00 fee, called a tipping fee, helped establish modern recycling programs and
facilities in Pennsylvania.
There is still work to be done to bring Pennsylvanias recycling and waste management
programs into the 21st century, noted George Hartenstein, DEP Deputy Secretary for Waste,
Air, Radiation and Remediation in testimony before the committee.
The environmental benefits of recycling match the economic gains it generates.
Recycling plastic, metal, and paper products in Pennsylvania drives employment of more
than 170,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state, and more than $1.7 billion in state and local
government tax revenues, according to a new report from the PA Recycling Markets Center.
In many ways, Act 101 was a landmark effort. In addition to modernizing waste disposal
planning in the state, the Act took on waste minimization. And now, recycling has been woven
into the fabric of our economy and into the behaviors of Pennsylvania residents, said DEP
Secretary Patrick McDonnell. After 30 years, a whole generation has never known a time when
you didnt separate recyclables and place them at the curb or look for separate recycling
containers in schools, public spaces, and offices.
DEP has previously awarded multi-year grants to local governments using proceeds from
the tipping fee through the Recycling Development and Implementation (Section 902) Grants.
Applications for 902 Grants regularly exceed available funds, and grants have not been awarded
since 2015 due to lack of funds and uncertainty of the future of the program.
Recycling isnt just a good environmental practice it supports Pennsylvania workers
and communities financially as well, said McDonnell. We need to make sure that we continue
to have the resources to support this tremendous sector of our economy.
The PA Recycling Markets Center was established by DEP to perform market studies and
analysis and to undertake projects to stimulate the demand for recyclable materials.
Click Here for a copy of DEPs testimony.
For more background on Act 101, visit DEPs Recycling In Pennsylvania webpage.
NewsClips:
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Hearing On Act 101
Table In PA June 29
Does Pennsylvania Need An Official State Mineral? A First Grade Class Said, Of Quartz!
Pennsylvania has an official state animal--

whitetail deer, a tree-- hemlock, fish-- brook trout,
plant-- Penngift crownvetch, insect-- firefly,
flower-- mountain laurel, bird-- ruffed grouse,
fossil-- phacops rana, dog-- great dane, beverage--
milk and even a state locomotive- PA Railroad
K4S.
But Derek Sciecinskis first grade class at
Pennell Elementary School in Delaware County
thought something was missing-- a state mineral.
Sciecinski lead his class in a statewide, social media campaign that included a video
produced by the class to help pick what mineral should be the state rock.
Click Here to watch the video.
Sen. Tom Killion (R-Delaware) noticed the campaign, met with the students and
announced his intention to introduce Senate Bill 610 to designate quartz as the official state
mineral later that same day.
The children in this class are rock stars! Their research and efforts on this project are
impressive and I was glad to work with them on their project, said Sen. Killion. The students
and teachers at Pennell should be commended for embracing technology and using it for research
and civic engagement. These are lessons that will stay with these kids for life and make them
engaged and educated citizens. We are in good hands as these students grow up and enter the
world. (from Delaware County Times)
Quartz is abundant in the Commonwealth, and can be found across the state in many
forms and varieties.
This is not the first time a Delaware County school has helped initiate a proposal for a
new state symbol, said Sen. Killion.
In 1974, the firefly (lightning bug) was designated the official state insect following a
successful effort by students of Highland Park Elementary School in the Upper Darby School
District, part of Sen. Thomas McGarrigles district.
Quartz or Anthracite?
Sen. Killion said quartz faces competition from another proposal. Rep. Thomas Murt
(R-Montgomery) has sponsored legislation-- House Bill 757-- to make anthracite the state
mineral.
Senate Bill 610 was reported out of the Senate State Government Committee Wednesday
and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.
House Bill 757 is still in the House State Government Committee.
To learn more about quartz and other rocks in Pennsylvania, read DCNRs Bureau of
Geologic Surveys Rocks and Minerals Of Pennsylvania.
NewsClip:
Pennell Students Push For Official State Rock, Sen. Killion On Board
Senate Committee Considers Bills On State Funding For Lateral Water, Sewer Lines June
19
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on June 19 to
consider several wastewater infrastructure bills and legislation to change the makeup of the
Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board.
The bills include--
-- Senate Bill 334 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include
private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of sewer lines in PennVEST funding applications -
no new funding source identified (sponsor summary);
-- Senate Bill 639 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include
private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of water lines in PennVEST funding applications -
no new funding source identified (sponsor summary);
-- Senate Bill 692 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) amends to Sewage Facilities Act to increase what a
local agency may charge from $25 to $100 (sponsor summary); and
-- House Bill 290 (Metzgar-R-Bedford) providing for legislative appointments to the
Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board (House Fiscal Note and summary).
The meeting will be held in the Rules Room and called Off the Floor by the presiding
officer of the Senate. That means the meeting can be held any time after the Senate convenes for
session Monday.
Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental
Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov. Sen. John Yudichak
(D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
yudichak@pasenate.com.
News From Around The State
Carol Collier Recognized With PECs Winsor Award In Philadelphia
Carol Collier, former Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin

Commission, was honored by the PA Environmental Council with the
Winsor Award at the 47th Environmental Partnership Dinner
Wednesday in Philadelphia.
The Winsor Award was established by PECs board of directors in 1988 in memory of
the Councils founder and longtime president, Curtin Winsor. Periodically, the Board has chosen
to recognize exemplary individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to
enhancing the Commonwealths environment.
Carol Collier currently serves as Senior Advisor for Watershed Management and Policy
at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Carol served for more than 15 years as executive director of the Delaware River Basin
Commission before joining the Academy. Before joining DRBC, she was executive director of
Pennsylvanias 21st Century Environment Commission and was regional director of the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Region.
Prior to DEP, Collier served 19 years with BCM Environmental Engineers, Inc.,
beginning as a student intern and ultimately becoming vice president of environmental planning,
science and risk.
She has a B.A. in biology from Smith College and a masters in regional planning from
the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2016, Carol was recognized with the Karl Mason Award from the PA Association of
Environmental Professionals and was named to the American Institute of Certified Planners
College of Fellows, in 2014 she received the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded her the
Bronze Order of the DeFleury Medal, in 2007 the American Water Resources Association
presented her with the Mary H. Marsh Medal for exemplary contributions to the protection and
wise use of the nations water resources, in 1998 she was recognized with the Woman of
Distinction Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal and in 1997 she was presented with
the Touchstone Award from the Society of Women Environmental Professionals.
updates from PEC.
PA Launches Effort To Write Cleanup Plan Addressing Chesapeake Bay Shortfall
By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal
Pennsylvania effort to write a more robust Bay

cleanup strategy was launched last week in a packed
hotel auditorium where more than 200 people
gathered to offer their initial thoughts about what a
new and more implementable plan would look
like.
The state is so far behind its Bay cleanup
obligations that it is jeopardizing Chesapeake
restoration efforts as a whole. All states in the Bay
drainage have to write new Watershed Implementation
Plans in the next year and a half to guide cleanup their efforts through the 2025 cleanup deadline,
but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has singled out Pennsylvanias plan-writing
process for increased scrutiny because of its shortfall.
The challenge is great, but we can do it together, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell told the gathering, noting that efforts to
clean the Bay will also benefit state waterways.
It will be a challenge. According to the EPAs most recent review, Pennsylvania needs to
control 34 million pounds of nitrogen runoff from 2016 through 2025 about 70 percent of the
total remaining nitrogen reduction for the entire Bay watershed.
Nutrient pollution spurs algae blooms in the Bay that clouds the water, blocking sunlight
from critical underwater grass beds. When the algae die, they deplete water of the oxygen needed
by fish, crabs and other species.
Because of its gaping shortfall, the EPA recently warned state officials in a letter that the
agency was ramping up oversight of Pennsylvanias cleanup efforts and could take further
actions if the state doesnt come up with a viable cleanup plan, which outlines beefed-up
regulations and new funding, in the next 18 months.
I think everyone in the room is aware of the consequences of us not meeting our
obligations, McDonnell said. Those consequences could include more EPA inspections of farms
and municipal stormwater systems, assigning specific nutrient reductions for large-scale animal
feeding operations and stormwater dischargers, or forcing wastewater treatment plants to make
additional upgrades, among other actions.
State officials anticipate at least for now that 80 percent of the needed nitrogen
reduction will come from the more than 33,000 farms in the Chesapeake basin, which they
acknowledge will be a challenge.
I worry every day about the 80 percent and the pressure on agriculture to get this done,
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in an interview.
He said more of the nutrient reduction responsibility may ultimately have to be shifted to
other sources. But that wont happen unless the agricultural sector can show that farmers are
stepping up.
As part of that, many county conservation districts, along with state agencies, have
ramped up farm inspections since last fall to check that farmers have required conservation plans
and ultimately, are implementing them. That effort is critical, Redding said, to showing others
that the agricultural sector is addressing its challenge.
You cant have an intelligent conversation about changing [the 80 percent number] until
you really get folks who have a current obligation to do the plan, Redding said.
But its a massive job, Redding said, noting that Lancaster County alone has 5,500 farms.
Still, he added, farmers are beginning to accept the oversight, noting that complaints about the
increased farm inspections have been fewer than expected.
There hasnt been hostility to that, Redding said. Ive had one phone call out of the
1,194 visits that the farmer was really pushing back on why this is happening.
A key issue will be funding any program. The EPA, in its letter, said the state needs to
show how it will come up with the funds needed to implement the updated Bay cleanup plan.
Gov. Tom Wolf has called for $45 million in increased funding over the next three years
to help support Bay efforts, but thats far below whats needed. EPA officials have estimated the
state needs to increase just its agricultural cost-share program by between $50 million to $80
million a year.
McDonnell said the governors proposal was only a down payment. The legislature is
considering several proposals that could generate more money for clean water projects, but their
future is uncertain and they are unlikely to be part of the budget for the fiscal year that begins
July 1.
Funding for state environmental programs has declined over the last decade, and budget
deadlocks between the legislature and the governor in recent years have made the situation even
worse.
In fact, Cindy Dunn, secretary of the state Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, said ensuring that the General Assembly comes up with additional funding will be a
critical part of ensuring that any new plan becomes reality.
Even as we sit here, across the river important decisions are going to be made that will
affect our ability to carry out the aspirations of today, Dunn said, referring to the ongoing
General Assembly session in Harrisburg.
Leaders emphasized that while the need to meet Bay cleanup goals is driving action, state
water quality will benefit from the work. This is a clean local water plan for the commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, McDonnell said.
Indeed, Dunn said the state has enough woes of its own so that water quality
conversations dont have to include the words Chesapeake Bay to be effective.
Pennsylvania doesnt touch the Bay, but half of the state, including all or parts of 43 of
the states 67 counties, drains into the Chesapeake, primarily down the Susquehanna River.
Tragically, on some of the hottest days of the summer, after a rainstorm, we have to
close beaches at parks because the E. coli levels are too high.
About 240 people gathered to share ideas at the June 5 event, more than had attended any
meetings during the development of earlier Bay cleanup plans developed in 2010 and 2011,
which many considered a top-down exercise that resulted in unrealistic plans.
Repeatedly, officials emphasized that the new plans had to be, in McDonnells words,
realistic and achievable and gets us where we ultimately need to go, which is cleaning up local
water quality.
The meeting drew representatives for agriculture, local government officials,
conservation districts, watershed groups and others to present ideas the type of inclusion state
officials had hoped to see.
So many people wanted to be part of the process that organizers had to turn away several
requests to register, said Veronica Kasi, coordinator of the DEPs Chesapeake Bay Office.
They met in small groups to discuss topics as varied as funding, roadside drainage
management, local goal setting, citizen science, messaging and new approaches to riparian forest
buffers.
McDonnell said that participation by everyone whos partnered with us on the plan will
been needed to make it a reality.
Sometimes, I walk into a room and conversation shuts down, he said. So engaging
with conservation districts and engaging with some of the ag associations is essential in getting
this done. The encouraging thing to me is that theyve wanted to be actively engaged as a
partner.
(Reprinted from the June 12 Chesapeake Bay Journal.)
For more information on Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay efforts, visit DEPs Phase III
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan webpage.
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PA Chesapeake Bay Commission Members Spotlight Need For Clean Water Fund In PA
CBF-PA: NRCS Grant Will Help Communities Meet MS4 Stormwater Requirements With
On-Farm Practices
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Thursday announced

it will receive an innovative federal grant designed to put
conservation practices on farms that will allow
municipalities to satisfy stormwater pollution reduction
requirements and return profits to capital investors.
The Conservation Innovation Grant of $415,000 from the
Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture is to be matched by CBF and
multiple partners for the three-year project.
With the CIG, CBF and partners will apply an innovative
Pay-for-success (PFS) approach.
Pay-for-success can be a win-win-win for the environment and the economy, said
CBFs Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell. Farms get practices that reduce the
amount of polluted runoff entering our rivers and streams, municipalities get credit toward their
MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) requirements and save money doing it, and
investors make a profit.
The MS4 program was created by Congress in order to reduce the amount of polluted
runoff from urban/suburban areas that enters local storm sewer systems. Where there is
inadequate infrastructure and stormwater management, runoff creates flooding and carries
untreated polluted runoff into local rivers and streams.
Under the PFS approach, select municipalities contract to pay a financial intermediary, if
specific agricultural pollution reductions are achieved.
With capital from private investors, the intermediary contracts with service providers to
install pollution reduction measures on farms. If the desired pollution reductions are achieved,
the municipality can apply the results to satisfy its urban/suburban stormwater compliance
requirements.
The municipality will then pay the intermediary, which in turn repays investors, with
interest.
Private investors for the project have not yet been identified.
The Pay-for-success project supported by the new grant, represents an innovative
approach to joining the Commonwealths agricultural and urban stormwater sectors mutual
pursuit of clean water, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding wrote in support of PFS. It
offers Pennsylvania enormous potential to achieve substantial and cost-effective nutrient and
sediment pollution reductions by infusing private capital in the implementation of agricultural
best management practices.
The project hopes to contract with MS4 municipalities in York or Lancaster to
participate.
Polluted runoff from agriculture and urban/suburban sources are among the leading
sources of pollution to roughly 19,000 miles of rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. Urban and
suburban polluted runoff is the only source of pollution that continues to increase within the
Chesapeake Bay watershed.
There is a big cost differential between doing stormwater controls in urban/suburban
areas versus doing pollution controls on agricultural land. It can be 10- to 100-fold more
expensive in urban areas, said Dr. Beth McGee, CBFs director of Science and Agricultural
Policy.
With this project, we get practices in the ground sooner because a big investor might be
able invest quickly and get paid back over a longer period of time, Dr. McGee added. They are
assuming the risk. The municipality is only going to pay if the project is performing as it was
designed. The investors expect to make money because of the large cost differential.
CBFs partners on this project are organizations with experience and expertise working
with municipalities in stormwater compliance, agricultural production, and design and
development of Pay-for-Success transactions.
They include Red Barn Consulting of Lancaster, RETTEW Associates Consulting of
Lancaster, Land OLakes, Inc., and Quantified Ventures of Washington, D.C.
Were excited to partner with the CBF on this first-of-its-kind project employing
outside-of-the-box thinking to work with all parties to improve water quality in a sustainable
way, economically and environmentally, said Matt Carstens, senior vice president at Land
OLakes, Inc. By incentivizing outcome-based conservation financing, theres a great
opportunity for partners to work with farmers and agricultural retailers to invest and grow.
Farmers are always eager to enhance their operations to lead the way on conserving resources on
their farms and in their communities.
Land OLakes, Inc., a farmer-owned food and agriculture cooperative, will provide
outreach and technical assistance on the project.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left
column). Click Here to support their work.
For more information on Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay efforts, visit DEPs Phase III
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan webpage.
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Latest Newsletter Now Available From Forests For The Chesapeake Bay
The latest newsletter is now available from Forests For The

Bay featuring articles on--
-- Streamside Forest buffers Are Important For Water and
Wildlife
-- Rebuilding A Forest: Couple Replant Decades Of Lost
Trees Near Myersville, MD
-- Look for Upcoming Events near you
-- Click Here to sign up for your own copy.
For more information programs, initiatives and resources available, visit the Forests For
The Bay website.
NewsClips:
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PA Americans West Shore Regional Water Treatment Plant Recognized With National
Award
American Water Works Company, Inc. Monday announced the achievement of 18 Partnership
for Safe Water awards, including the West Shore Regional Water Treatment Plant in
Cumberland County.
The awards, which honor the efforts in continuously optimizing treatment plant and
distribution system operation and performance, were presented during the 2017 American Water
Works Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania American Water's West Shore Regional Water Treatment Plant was
recognized for maintaining the Phase III Directors Award status for five years. With a total of 68
surface water treatment plants recognized, American Water accounts for about one-third of all
plants that have received the Five-Year Phase III award nationwide.
"We hold ourselves to the highest standards in delivering clean, safe, high-quality
drinking water to our customers while also ensuring that the water service is reliable and
affordable," said Susan Story, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Having our facilities
recognized by the Partnership for Safe Water for going above and beyond EPA water quality
standards is very meaningful accomplishment for us. This recognition is a significant
achievement in our ongoing efforts to not only meet stringent performance goals but also deliver
the high-quality service that our customers have come to expect."
As a member of the Partnership for Safe Water, American Water demonstrates its
commitment to improve the quality of drinking water delivered to customers by optimizing its
system operations.
In American Water's footprint, one system received an award for its Distribution
Program, one plant received an award for maintaining Phase III certification for five years, one
plant received recognition for maintaining Phase III certification for 10 years and 15 plants were
presented with the Phase III Directors Award status for 15 years.
Nationally, just over 400 surface water treatment plants are part of U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Partnership for Safe Water Program, a voluntary effort that is designed
to increase protection against microbial contamination through treatment optimization.
"We are extremely proud that American Water accounts for about 20 percent of the
participating plants, and has received more Partnership for Safe Water awards than any other
utility nationwide," noted Story. "Our team of more than 6,800 professionals works hard in many
ways to deliver clean water for life that is also safe, reliable, and affordable, because our
customers deserve nothing less."
For more information on the states program, visit DEPs Partnership for Safe Water
webpage.
Susquehanna River Basin Commission: 40% Reduction In Municipal Permit Fees,

Streamlined Regulatory Process
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Monday told members of the House State
Government Committee a three-year intensive management reorganization has resulted in a more
than 40 percent reduction in municipal permit fees, overall streamlining of its regulatory process
and creation of a Public Water Supply Assistance Program to offer technical assistance and
further fee reductions to small municipal water supply systems.
Testifying at a public hearing of the House State Government Committee, SRBC
Executive Director Andrew Dehoff, P.E., said that an entirely new management team installed
over the past three years took a very aggressive approach responding to concerns expressed
about SRBC operations from regulated communities.
There has been a lot of attention on water quality lately, both in Pennsylvania and
nationwide. And safe drinking water is certainly critically important, Dehoff said. But the
quality of the water is irrelevant if nothing comes out when you turn on the tap. Thats SRBCs
unique role, and thats why for nearly 40 years we have been reviewing and approving
withdrawals of water from groundwater wells.
Dehoff explained the SRBCs groundwater rules are designed to ensure that
communities have sustainable, reliable sources of water to provide to their homes, businesses
and industries.
While the Department of Environmental Protection is charged with ensuring water purity
and drinkability, SRBC focuses on the quantity of water and the reliability of sources.
Sustainable and reliable, to us, means that their sources can continue to provide needed water,
even during times of drought, and can do so without conflict.
He said one of the lingering issues is that many towns are counting on old, unproven
wells to supply water for future growth. Our long-term goal is that communities will collect the
information they need to provide certainty that their groundwater sources will meet long-term
needs.
Dehoff praised the operators of water supply systems in the Basin. The men and women
that make up the boards of the water authorities and townships and boroughs they serve are
exemplary public servants, the SRBC head said. They are conscientious and dedicated to doing
what is right for their communities.
He also summarized some of the many projects undertaken using SRBC funding to
enhance, expand and improve water supplies in the Susquehanna River Basin. One Commission
effort involves restoring abandoned coal mining sites in Clearfield, Indiana and Schuylkill
Counties.
The project in Schuylkill County isnt yet complete, but in Clearfield and Indiana
counties we are observing wild trout living and thriving in waterways that havent supported
trout in a century, Dehoff said.
In Cumberland County, we partnered with a community to address a recurring sinkhole
problem that also is helping the township meet its state and federal stormwater requirements, he
noted.
SRBC also assisted the Lancaster County Planning Commission with water aspects of
their County Comprehensive Plan, and completed a study of favorable groundwater locations to
assist in development planning.
[Editors Note: Rep. Moul (R-Adams) said at the hearing SRBC exceeds its authority
when it regulates groundwater. This statement is, since the Susquehanna River Basin Compact
specifically says the Commission may regulate and control withdrawals and diversions from
surface waters and ground waters of the basin Article 11 Regulation of Withdrawal and
Diversions; Protected Areas and Emergencies.]
[Editors Note: House Republicans last week passed House Bill 922, co-sponsored by
Rep. Moul, Rep. Will Tallman (R-Adams) and others opposed to what the SRBC does, removing
new SRBC employees from the State Employees Retirement System. The move will only
increase costs to SRBC and member states like Pennsylvania and make SRBC raise fees.]
For more information about programs, initiatives and upcoming training and other
events, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission website. Follow SRBC on Twitter. Visit
SRBCs YouTube Channel.
Volunteer For ORSANCO Ohio River Sweep In Western PA June 17
Volunteers are needed for the 27th Annual River Sweep June 17,
from 8 a.m. to noon to help clean up stream and riverbanks in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver,
Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.
The River Sweep, an annual six-state effort to clean up litter and debris in the Ohio River
watershed, is the largest organized volunteer river cleanup effort in the country. The event winds
through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Illinois, covering more than
2,400 miles of shoreline.
The River Sweep is a community effort that teaches the value of our waterways,
teamwork and stewardship, said Betsy Mallison, Pennsylvania River Sweep Coordinator.
Come out with the family and spend a few hours along our rivers and streams and help make a
difference in our waterways.
Volunteers are asked to wear sturdy shoes and long pants, and to bring work gloves, if
available. Volunteers must sign a waiver and will receive a free River Sweep t-shirt for
participating.
In Pennsylvania, the River Sweep is sponsored by the Department of Environmental
Protection, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and a number of Pennsylvania
corporate sponsors including Duquesne Light, EQT, and the Neville Chemical Company.
Click Here to contact Pennsylvania coordinators to volunteer for the cleanup.
(Photo: Poster by Nick Boczek, 4th Grade Student, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Florence,
KY.)
NewsClips:
PennDOT: Recycled Asphalt Paving Saves The Environment And Money
The Department of Transportation Tuesday discussed

using Recycled Asphalt Paving or RAP, an innovative
paving method, for the first time in Armstrong County
to improve nearly five miles of rural roadway.
The pilot, was made possible due to PennDOT's
Road Maintenance and Preservation (Road MaP)
initiative, which Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced
will invest $2.1 billion in roadway maintenance and
highway and bridge capital projects over the next 10
years.
"Our Road MaP initiative provides more investment in our lower-traffic roadways as well
as our traffic routes and Interstates," said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Highway
Administration George McAuley. "Recycled Asphalt Pavement is one of the more beneficial and
economical tools to improve secondary roads, and allows us to complete or contract even more
work due the cost savings."
RAP is an environmentally conscious method that repurposes materials from projects
onto other roadways by mixing ground millings with oil. RAP allows the department to pave
less-traveled roads that otherwise wouldn't be paved, or to reinforce roadway shoulders.
This week, PennDOT will use RAP on 1.9 miles of Route 2018 (Campbell Run Road)
and 3 miles of Route 2012 (Silvis Hollow Road). These roads were chosen based on their "poor"
pavement-quality rating and proximity to the stockpile where the materials are stored. They also
carry an average of fewer than 3,000 vehicles each day and trucks are less than 10 percent of the
traffic.
With roughly 3 inches of RAP compared to an equivalent of 2 inches of new asphalt,
PennDOT estimates a $225,000 cost with RAP compared to roughly $371,000. PennDOT can
redirect these savings to other maintenance improvements or contracts.
"Our maintenance team has been managing their resources aggressively but the additional
maintenance resources provided through Road MaP were sorely needed," said Joe Dubovi,
PennDOT's district executive for the region including Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and
Jefferson counties.
Dubovi noted that last year, PennDOT estimated it would cost more than $140 million
just to repave the 375 miles of low volume roads with rough pavements in Armstrong County.
An additional $15 million will be invested in Armstrong County through the 2028-29 fiscal year
due to Road MaP.
The RAP pilot complements the $119.4 million in contract work for an estimated 125
miles of roadway improvements and 28 bridge projects anticipated to begin or be bid in the
district in 2017.
PennDOT has been using a variety of materials in recycled asphalt paving for at least the
last 6 years when DEP adopted General Permit WMGR090.
NewsClips:
West Nile Virus Program Announces Positive Mosquito Results In 3 New Counties
The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced positive mosquito results for
West Nile Virus have been found in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Scranton,
Lackawanna County and Manchester Township. York County.
Other positive mosquito results have been found in these other counties this season--
Berks, Centre, Chester, Lawrence and Schuylkill.
[Note: The budget passed by House Republicans in April cut West Nile/Zika Virus
Control funding by $338,000.]
For more information on the West Nile Virus prevention efforts in Pennsylvania, visit the
West Nile Virus website.
NewsClip:
Mosquito In Scranton Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
Funding For Coal Mine Worker Training In PA Released From Appalachian Agency
Targeted For Elimination By Trump
The Appalachian Regional Commission, slated for

elimination by the Trump Administration, Wednesday
released $15.7 million in funding for economic development
projects, including a $1.4 million grant to the Washington
Greene County Job Training Agency to train displaced
workers from the coal sector.
The Pennsylvania grant is for the Appalachian Region Code
(ARCODE) Initiative. The ARCODE Initiative will teach high-demand skills in software
engineering and development to displaced workers from the coal sector in southwest
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
It harnesses and combines the software training expertise of Mined Minds, a proven
software development training organization, and CentralApp, an international software solutions
developer.
The two will work together to provide courses and certifications needed to qualify for
high-demand technology jobs, enabling participants to work locally for companies that can be
located anywhere in the world.
Mined Minds will provide a supply of certified tech talent that program partners and
others will be able to hire locally or contract for short-term, labor-intensive projects.
CentralApp trainees who obtain certifications will have access to CentralApp Talent
Exchange and will obtain work from its customer base of thousands of active Salesforce
customers, systems integrators, and consultancies.
The project will train and place 71 workers in computer tech jobs at seven or more
companies.
Click Here for the complete announcement of grants.
NewsClips:
Consol Energy Aims To Expand Coal Mining In Greene County
Homer City Power Plant Out Of Bankruptcy, Still Needs Overhaul
Trump Reignites Coal Sector, But It Is Projected To Burn Out In The Long Run
Solar Power Will Kill Coal Sooner Than You Think
Op-Ed: Anyone Using Pittsburgh As An Excuse To Go Soft On Environment Knows Nothing
About Pittsburgh
EIA: Natural Gas Topped Coal-Fired Electric Generation In Northeast Since Feb. 2011
Due To Competition
In 2016, natural gas provided 34 percent of total electricity generation, surpassing coal to
become the leading generation source. In the Northeast, electricity generation with natural gas
has exceeded coal-fired generation since February 2011.
Natural gas first exceeded coal as the most common electricity fuel on a monthly basis in
April 2015 and on an annual basis in 2016.
The increase in natural gas generation since 2005 is primarily a result of the continued
cost competitiveness of natural gas relative to coal.
Natural gas-fired capacity is widely distributed across the United States. Every state
except Vermont has at least one natural gas plant. In the past 15 years, nearly 228 gigawatts
(GW) of capacity fueled by natural gas was added, far exceeding retirements of 54 GW.
Over that same period, 20 GW of coal-fired capacity was added, while more than 53 GW
was retired.
Regionally, coal remains the dominant fuel for electricity generation in the Midwest,
although its share has decreased over the past several years.
In the South, monthly natural gas generation surpassed that of coal in every month since
January 2015.
In the West, electricity generated by coal and natural gas has remained in close
competition over the past decade; however, natural gas exceeded coal in the power sector for 11
months during 2016.
The competition of coal and natural gas for electricity generation plays an important role
in setting wholesale electricity prices. The changing use of natural gas and coal in electricity
generation also has implications for the production, transport, and storage of coal and natural
gas.
To better examine coal and natural gas competitiveness in the power market, the 2017
EIA Energy Conference will include a session on coal-natural gas competition.
The topic will be explored from three perspectives: technology for coal to natural gas
conversions, impact on the electric system dispatch order, and the effect of lower coal demand
on the railroad industry.
The panel will be moderated by Stan Kaplan, director of EIAs Office of Electricity,
Renewables, and Uranium Statistics. Speakers on this panel include: Robert DiDona, Energy
Ventures Analysis, Inc., Robin Bedilion, Electric Power Research Institute and Jamie Heller,
Hellerworx, Inc.
The 2017 EIA Energy Conference will be held June 2627 in Washington, DC.
Conference registration is open through midday on June 22.
NewsClips:
Natural Gas Power Plant Project In Luzerne County On Schedule
Plans Again For Beech Hollow Electric Generation Plant In Washington County
Pumped Hydro: Old Coal Mines Could Play A Role In Renewable Energy
Wind, Solar Produce 10% Of U.S. Electricity For First Time
EPA Proposing To Pause Oil & Gas Methane Emission Control Rule For 2 Years
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Tuesday provided more details on its proposal
to pause the rule now in place controlling
methane emissions from oil and gas drilling
operations saying its review would take 2 years
while it reconsiders the regulation.
The Environmental Defense Fund and other
groups filed a lawsuit last week over its
decision to pause the rule.
In a fact sheet, EDF said over 800 new and
modified wells would be affected by EPAs
decision to pause the rule in Pennsylvania causing an estimated 500 tons of methane pollution,
140 tons of volatile organic compound pollution and 5 tons of hazardous air pollutants.
Pennsylvania does have in place methane leak detection and repair requirements,
including quarterly inspections for compressor stations issued permits after mid-2013. A
voluntary leak detection program for well sites is also in place.
The Department of Environmental Protection is now going through the process of
updating its General Permit GP-5 and GP-5A with more stringent methane emission
requirements, prompted by the EPA rule. The comment period for these proposed changes
closed on June 5.
Questions about the EDF information should be directed to Stacy MacDiarmid at
512-691-3439 or send email to: smacdiarmid@edf.org.
(Photo: EDF map of Pennsylvania gas wells affected by the proposed EPA pause.)
NewsClips:
EPA Moves To Halt Oil & Gas Methane Rule For Two Years
Greens Sue EPA Over Paused Oil & Gas Methane Rule
Trump Delays Rules Limiting Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Operations
Industry Cheers Methane Rules Pause Despite New Uncertainty
Xpress Natural Gas Takes Heat For Building Compressor Station Without DEP Permit
PennDOT Public Private Partnership CNG Refueling Station Now Open In York
Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced the opening of the latest of 29 Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) fueling stations planned as part of a Public Private Partnership, this one in York at 415
Zarfoss Drive.
This P3 CNG program will make our transit agencies more efficient, saving resources
and healing our environment, Gov. Wolf said of the opening. Im pleased that with this station,
we now have two CNG facilities in York the public can access.
Through the $84.5 million statewide P3 project, Trillium will design, build, finance,
operate and maintain CNG fueling stations at 29 public transit agency sites through a 20-year P3
agreement. Other stations will be constructed over the next five years, and Trillium is also
making CNG-related upgrades to existing transit maintenance facilities.
As part of the conversion in York, rabbitransit will convert 54 diesel buses and 33
paratransit buses to CNG, adding to their existing single CNG bus. The authority estimates
saving more than $500,000 annually based on current diesel costs and their diesel and gas usage
of roughly 700,000 gallons per year.
In addition to the transit bus fueling, the York station will be open to the public 24/7.
PennDOTs overall P3 project includes CNG fueling accessible to the public at six transit agency
sites, with the option to add to sites in the future.
PennDOT will receive a 15 percent royalty, excluding taxes, for each gallon of fuel sold
to the public at public sites, which will be used to support the cost of the project.
Using the P3 procurement mechanism allows PennDOT to install the fueling stations
faster than if a traditional procurement mechanism were used for each site, resulting in
significant estimated capital cost savings of more than $46 million.
When the project is completed, the fueling stations will supply gas to more than 1,600
CNG buses at transit agencies across the state.
Stations have already opened at:
-- Cambria County Transportation Authority, Johnstown Facility), includes public fueling.
-- Mid Mon Valley Transportation Authority)
A list of agencies participating in the P3 project, in order of construction-start timeline,
follows:
-- Cambria County Transportation Authority, Johnstown Facility (2017), includes public fueling.
-- Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, York Facility (2017), includes public fueling.
-- Mid Mon Valley Transportation Authority (2017)
-- Cambria County Transportation Authority, Ebensburg Facility (2017)
-- Westmoreland County Transportation Authority (2017)
-- Centre Area Transportation Authority (2017)
-- Beaver County Transportation Authority (2017)
-- Crawford Area Transportation Authority (2017)
-- New Castle Area Transportation Authority (2017), includes public fueling.
-- Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, Allentown Facility (2017)
-- County of Lebanon Transportation Authority (2017)
-- Altoona Metro Transit (2017)
-- Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Gettysburg Facility (2017)
-- Butler Transportation Authority (2018)
-- Indiana County Transportation Authority (2018), includes public fueling.
-- County of Lackawanna Transportation System (2018), includes public fueling.
-- Erie Metropolitan Transportation Authority (2018), includes public fueling.
-- Mercer County Regional Council of Governments (2019)
-- Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation System (2019)
-- Monroe County Transportation Authority (2019)
-- Area Transportation Authority of North Central PA, Bradford Facility (2019)
-- Area Transportation Authority of North Central PA, Johnsonburg Facility (2019)
-- DuBois, Falls Creek, Sandy Township Joint Transportation Authority (2020)
-- Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, Easton Facility (2021)
-- Luzerne County Transportation Authority (2021)
-- Schuylkill Transportation System (2021)
-- Transit Authority of Warren County (2021)
-- Capital Area Transit (2021)
-- Port Authority of Allegheny County (2021)
To learn more about this and other P3 projects visit the CNG Fueling Stations Project
webpage.
NewsClips:
CNG Fueling Stations Grow In Pittsburgh Region, Still Hard To Find
EPA Expected To Unveil Renewable Fuel Plan As Early As This Week
Op-Ed: Anyone Using Pittsburgh As An Excuse To Go Soft On The Environment Knows

Nothing About Pittsburgh
By Joseph Sabino Mistick
The following op-ed appeared in the Tribune Review on June 10

under the title, Lawrences Political Courage --
Anyone who uses Pittsburgh as an excuse to go soft on

environmental controls knows nothing about Pittsburgh or the
value of a healthy environment. Beautiful Pittsburgh, never a
sure thing, only exists because of a first-term mayor's political
courage in the years after World War II.
David L. Lawrence was elected mayor in 1945 after
promising to clean up the environment, a policy he pursued
without compromise. And if it had cost him re-election four years
later, as it seemed it might, neither Lawrence nor Pittsburgh would be celebrated today.
The Pittsburgh of those days is hard to imagine now. During the war, factories and mills
ran full-tilt, covering everything and everyone with soot and grime. The air stunk, there were no
shiny cars, clean shirts lasted but an hour and no one could breathe easily.
Michael P. Weber, in Don't Call Me Boss, a history of Lawrence and his city, describes
Lawrence's single-minded pursuit of a clean environment. Smoke Must Go! was his unofficial
campaign slogan.
And in his first inaugural address, he said, I am convinced that our people want to clean
up the air. There is no other single thing which will so dramatically improve the appearance,
the health, the pride, the spirit of the city.
He immediately sent the state Legislature a collection of bills dubbed the Pittsburgh
Package, giving him the tools he needed for America's greatest urban-redevelopment project.
He got what he wanted, including smoke-control regulations for the railroads.
But Lawrence's real test would come when he decided to enforce a pre-war
smoke-control law that had been suspended for wartime production. It applied to commerce and
industry, and he could have left it at that, playing it safe.
Instead, he extended the ban on soft coal to homeowners, requiring them to convert their
furnaces to cleaner fuel. It was a real gamble because it hurt his base the working class the
most.
But he bet his career on it.
His political enemies pounced. The mayor's office and city newspapers were flooded with
letters and petitions protesting the policy. Union leaders called for a delay or change. Citizens
packed public meetings, demanding relief.
Eddie Leonard, a tough-talking councilman from East Liberty, challenged Lawrence in
the 1949 Democrat primary. But he never flinched, never backed off of his smoke-control
regulations.
He won the primary, but his victory was closer than it should have been.
Still, that was the moment when Beautiful Pittsburgh was born.
None of it not Lawrence's own Renaissance, Joe Barr's Three Rivers Stadium, Pete
Flaherty's reform and fiscal discipline, Dick Caliguiri's Renaissance II, Sophie Masloff's
Crawford Square and Technology Center and Regional Asset District, Tom Murphy's Lawrence
Convention Center and housing developments and stadiums, even Bill Peduto's bike lanes and
bike racks would have been possible, but for Lawrence's political gamble.
He had the political courage to put Pittsburgh's future ahead of his own future. He fought
for a healthy city, a clean environment.
And it paid off big.
Joseph Sabino Mistick, Associate Professor of Law, Duquesne University. He can be contacted
at 412-396-5253 or send email to: mistick@duq.edu.
NewsClip:
About Pittsburgh
DEP Declares Air Quality Action Day Saturday, June 17 For Southwest PA
The Department of Environmental Protection and

the Air Quality Partnership have forecast Saturday,
June 17 will be a Code Orange Air Quality Action
for ozone in Southwest Pennsylvania, including the
counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler,
Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland.
Hot and humid conditions with light southwest
winds will send temperatures close to 90 degrees
Saturday afternoon across western PA. Ozone levels
will rise to the code ORANGE range in the areas
listed above. These concentrations should improve to the moderate range by Sunday as
southwest winds increase and there is a better chance for afternoon thunderstorms.
There will be no action day forecast required for the Susquehanna or Lehigh Valleys as
we will start Saturday with clouds and a shower, then there is a greater chance for thunder to
develop in the late afternoon/early evening in these areas. Therefore, only moderate
concentrations are expected across central-eastern PA.
On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory
problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of
air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys standardized air quality index uses colors
to report daily air quality. Green signifies good; yellow means moderate; orange represents
unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for
all.
To help keep the air healthy, residents and business are encouraged to voluntarily restrict
certain pollution-producing activities by:
-- Refueling cars and trucks after dusk
-- Setting air conditioner thermostats to a higher temperature
-- Carpooling or using public transportation; and
-- Combining errands to reduce trips.
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with Air Quality Partnerships for Pittsburgh
and Liberty-Clairton.
For more information, visit DEPs Air Quality Partnership webpage.
NewsClips:
Philadelphia Air Agency Argues Against Proposed Reg On Tire Cutting
Code Orange Air Quality Alert In Effect For Tuesday In Southeast
Philly Schools Closing At Noon Today Due To Heat
EPA Moves To Halt Oil & Gas Methane Rule For 2 Years
EQB Sets 3 Hearings On VOC, NOx Emission Controls, RACT For Major Sources Reg.
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of proposed
rulemaking to control volatile organic compound emissions from industrial cleaning solvents,
aerospace manufacturing and rework and additional RACT requirements for major sources of
nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Three public hearings are scheduled on this proposal starting at 1:00 p.m.--
-- July 18: DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street, Norristown;
-- July 19: DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh; and
-- July 20: DEP, Room 105, Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg.
Persons wishing to present testimony at a hearing are requested to contact the
Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477, 717-787-4526 at
least 1 week in advance of a hearing to reserve a time to present testimony.
The deadline for comments is August 21. Comments can be submitted to the Board on
DEPs eComment webpage. A copy of the proposal can also be found there.
Click Here for all the details.
NewsClips:
3 Hearings Set On DEP State Implementation Plan Revision On Fine Particulate Matter
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of

proposed infrastructure State Implementation Plan revisions related to the 2012 fine particulate
matter standard.
Persons wishing to present testimony should contact Roma Monteiro, P.O. Box 8468,
Harrisburg, PA 17105 at 717-787-9495 or send email to: rmonteiro@pa.gov to reserve a time. If
no person has expressed an interest in testifying at the hearings before July 17, the hearings will
be cancelled.
The deadline for comments is July 20. Comments can be submitted to the Board on
NewsClips:
DEP Sets Hearings On Perdue AgriBusiness, Lancaster, Brunner Island, York County
The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled hearing on permit actions related to
Perdue AgriBusiness in Lancaster County and the Brunner Island Power Station in York County.
The hearings will be held--
-- July 20: DEP Hearing On Proposed Transfer Of Emission Reduction Credits To Perdue
AgriBusiness, Conoy Township, Lancaster County. Bainbridge Fire Hall, 34 South 2nd Street,
Bainbridge. 6:30 to 8:30. Contact Brenda Esterline at 717-705-4704 to testify. (June 17 PA
Bulletin, page 3392)
-- July 24: DEP Hearing On Draft NPDES Water Quality Permit for the Brunner Island Power
Station, East Manchester Township, York County. Union Fire Company, 201 York Street,
Manchester. 6:30 to 8:30. Those who wish to present testimony during the hearing are asked to
register in advance by contacting John Repetz in the Southcentral Regional Office,
717-705-4904 or send email to: jrepetz@pa.gov. (June 17 PA Bulletin, page 3432)
NewsClips:
DEP Will Only Accept Air Emission Inventory Reports Electronically Starting In 2018
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin

notifying all owners and operators of air contamination sources subject to the states air emission
inventory that the agency will only accept inventory submissions in an electronic format starting
in 2018.
This format change eliminates the need for paper forms and makes the review process
more efficient. This change also helps the Department to advance its mission of environmental
stewardship and further its continuing efforts to make State government more cost-effective.
Case-by-case exceptions will be allowed if an owner or operator can demonstrate to the
regional office where the source is located that submitting emission inventories in an electronic
format will put an undue burden on that owner or operator.
Questions regarding this notice can be directed to John Krueger, Assistant Director,
Bureau of Air Quality, by sending email to: jkrueger@pa.gov or call 717-783-9264.
NewsClips:
PUC Announces Appointments To Consumer Advisory Council
The Public Utility Commission Wednesday announced a series of appointments to its Consumer
Advisory Council, which provides input to the PUC on issues important to utility customers.
Members of the CAC will serve two-year terms, from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2019.
New CAC members include:
-- Sonny Popowsky, former Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate (serving from 1990 to 2012),
brings an extensive state and national background in consumer and utility issues. Popowsky, of
Philadelphia, was appointed to the CAC by Gov. Tom Wolf.
-- Christopher M. Winters Sr., of Wernersville, Berks County, has experience in legislative
affairs, constituent services, research and public relations. Winters was appointed by Rep.
Thomas R. Caltagirone, Minority Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.
Additionally, the Commission ratified the reappointment of the following CAC members:
-- Troy T. Geanopulos, founder of several energy efficiency companies over the past 20 years,
is currently the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Efficiency Network (TEN), a
tech-enabled provider of building efficiency services headquartered in Pittsburgh. Geanopulos
was reappointed by Lt. Gov. Mike Stack.
-- Ralph G. Douglass, of Bensalem, Bucks County, was reappointed by Sen. Robert M.
Tomlinson (R-Bucks), the Majority Chairman of the Consumer Protection and Professional
Licensure Committee. Douglass is semi-retired from service as President of PECA Inc., an
electronics design and manufacturing firm. Douglass current serves as chairman of the CAC.
-- Javier R. Toro, of Fountain Hill, Lehigh County, was appointed by Sen. Lisa M. Boscola
(D-Lehigh), the Minority Chair of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Committee. He is a Customer Care Supervisor for the Community Action Committee of the
Lehigh Valley, and also is responsible for weatherization.
-- George J. Silvestri Jr., of Souderton, Montgomery County, was reappointed by Rep. Robert
W. Godshall (R-Montgomery), the Majority Chairman of the House Consumer Affairs
Committee. Silvestri is an author and a retired engineer in the Power Generation Division of the
Westinghouse Electric Corp.
The PUC also reappointed the following at-large members of the CAC:
-- Lillian Carpenter, a retired educator from Pittsburgh, a former member of the Pittsburgh
Board of Education, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Homeless
Childrens Education Fund.
-- Patrick M. Cicero, Director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP), a statewide
legal aid office, based on Harrisburg, that serves low-income households in utility and energy
matters. He is a resident of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County.
-- Timothy B. Hennessey is a licensed insurance agent with Advantage Insurance in Pottstown,
Montgomery County, and owner of Phoenix Festival Productions, an event-planning company in
North Coventry Township, Chester County. Hennessey currently serves as vice chairman of the
CAC.
-- Chad Quinn, of Lawrence County, is Chief Executive Officer of Pittsburgh-based Dollar
Energy Fund, which works to improve the quality of life for households experiencing hardships
by providing utility assistance and other services that lead to self-sufficiency.
-- Dr. Tina M. Serafini, a professor, curriculum designer/consultant and trainer for T.M.
Serafini & Associates LLC, and a resident of Clearfield.
-- Joseph E. Toner III, Chairman of the Uwclan Township Board of Supervisors and President
of the Chester County Association of Township Officials.
The Consumer Advisory Council advises the PUC Commissioners on matters related to
the protection of consumer interests under the jurisdiction of the PUC. Council meetings are held
bimonthly and are open to the public. Members serve without compensation.
NewsClips:
PUCs Sweet: Climate Change May Require Subsidized Cooling
PPL Readies Distribution System To Withstand Summer Stresses
PUC Blocks Utility From Using Herbicides Near Home
Green Building Alliance Showcases Net-Zero Energy Buildings June 27 In Pittsburgh
The Green Building Alliance will showcase 9

Net-Zero Energy Projects in Western
Pennsylvania at a special event on June 27 at
the Frick Environmental Center, 2005
Beechwood Boulevard in Pittsburgh from 3:00
to 6:00 p.m.
According to the New Buildings Institute
Net-Zero Energy (also called Zero Net Energy)
buildings are ultra-efficient new construction
and deep energy retrofit projects that consume only as much energy as they produce from clean,
renewable resources.
This involves a balance of energy demand reduction, incredible efficiency, and the
addition of renewable energy sources.
The Pittsburgh region is rich with projects who have solved the NZE puzzle or are
working to figure it out. Come learn from them, and enjoy food, drinks and networking after the
program.
Projects featured in this showcase include:
-- Almono Development
-- Chatham Universitys Eden Hall Campus (Click Here for video)
-- Frick Environmental Center
-- Forest Hills Borough Building
-- IBACOS Net Zero Energy Lab Home & SABIC Home of Innovation
-- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Center for Sustainable Landscapes, SEED
Classroom, and Exhibit Staging Center
-- Riverside Mews
-- Spectrum Charter School
Learn about strategies and lessons learned from these project representatives. Join the
Alliance for an afternoon of compelling content, inspiring education, and networking fun with
drinks and appetizers!
Click Here for all the details and to register.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Green
Building Alliance website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance, Like
them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter and visit their YouTube Channel. Click Here to
support their work.
(Photo: Falk School of Sustainability at Eden Hall Campus, Chatham University, Pittsburgh)
NewsClips:
Olson: Cartwright School Energy Efficiency Bill Passes U.S. House
LED Lights Taking Over Households At Meteoric Rate
Apple Issues $1 Billion Green Bond To Fund Clean Energy, Environmental Projects
PA Attorney General, 10 Other AGs Sue U.S. DOE Over Stalled Energy Efficiency Rules
Attorney General Josh Shapiro Wednesday announced he and 10 other

state Attorneys General are suing the U.S. Department of Energy over
its failure to finalize energy-use standards designed to save consumers
and businesses billions of dollars, conserve energy and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
The energy-use rules, approved by the Department of Energy in
December but never finalized by the Trump Administration, would
save consumers and businesses an estimated $11.6 billion, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 159 million tons, and conserve 242 billion
kilowatt hours of electricity over 30 years.
The rules cover portable air conditioners, walk-in coolers and
freezers, air compressors, commercial boilers and uninterruptible power supplies.
Attorney General Shapiro and 10 other Attorneys General filed the lawsuit Tuesday in
federal district court in California.
Im suing to make the Trump Administration follow the law and protect our
environment, said Attorney General Shapiro. Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to
clean air and pure water, and Im taking legal action to protect that right.
The energy-efficiency standards were approved in December. As required by federal law,
the rules then went through several steps with the final step being publication in the Federal
Register, which makes the rules legally enforceable.
The Trump Administrations Energy Department never completed this final step, which
is a clear violation of federal environmental and administrative law.
This is about standing up for the rule of law, Attorney General Shapiro said. These
energy-efficiency standards were approved to protect consumers, small businesses and our
environment and the Trump Administration cant simply refuse to put them in place.
Attorney General Shapiro has made environmental protection a cornerstone of his
leadership of the Office of Attorney General.
In his first 100 days, Attorney General Shapiro has hired Steve Santarsiero as Chief
Deputy for Environmental Protection, settled a multi-state lawsuit against Volkswagen over
emissions violations, and directed every division in the Office of Attorney General to prioritize
environmental issues in the course of their work.
Whether its suing an international company for emission violations or standing up to
the President and his administration on energy rules and climate change, Im committed to
protecting Pennsylvanias natural resources, Attorney General Shapiro said. Its a
constitutional right and well fight every day to uphold that right for every Pennsylvanian.
Click Here for a copy of the lawsuit.
NewsClip:
PA Among 11 States Suing Trump Administration On Energy Efficiency Rules
Related Stories:
AG Shapiro Joins 19 Govt. Leaders Vowing To Support Paris Climate Accord
Pennsylvania, 12 Other States Challenge Rollback Of Federal Vehicle Emission Standards
PA Adds 34 Farms, More Than 2,700 Acres To Farmland Preservation Program
Pennsylvanias Agricultural Land Preservation Board

last Thursday added 2,724 acres on 34 farms in 15
counties to the more than 5,100 farms across the state
permanently preserved for agricultural production.
Pennsylvania farm families are facing difficult
economic choices, said Agriculture Secretary Russell
Redding. Our farmland preservation program has given
thousands of Pennsylvania families the means to
continue farming by protecting their valuable farmland
from development.
At its meeting, the board preserved farms in 15 counties: Berks, Bradford, Cambria,
Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene, Lancaster, Lehigh, Mercer, Northampton, Schuylkill,
Somerset, Washington and York.
The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program, as it is
formally known, identifies properties and slows the loss of prime farmland to nonagricultural
uses. It enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also
called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.
In some cases, federal funding helps to preserve these lands. In 2016, the department
signed a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agricultures Natural
Resources Conservation Service that allows Pennsylvanias program to submit farms for
consideration by the federal Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.
The agreement required with each new federal Farm Bill continues the tradition of
cooperation between the programs. One of the farms using these federal funds, the Robert N.
Barley farm from Lancaster County, was approved for easement purchase by the state board.
Since the program began in 1988, federal, state, county and local governments have
invested nearly $1.4 billion to preserve 536,181 acres on 5,136 farms in 58 counties for future
agricultural production.
While Secretary Redding touted the new farms that were preserved last week, he voiced
concern that despite an additional $8 million in funding for farmland preservation under Gov.
Tom Wolfs budget $40 million versus the $32 million available this year proposed cuts from
the governors plan in operating support by House Republicans may threaten the departments
ability to administer the program.
In contrast to Governor Wolfs prudent and responsible budget proposal, the arbitrary
and across-the-board cuts in House Bill 218 are going to force some very difficult decisions for
the department, and that is going to have ramifications for our farming community and for the
general public, said Redding. If we have to absorb $2 million in less funding, itll likely have
come out of staff positions. That could impact the farmland preservation program, which is
already challenged to manage a program with tens of millions of dollars in funding, 5,100 farms
and more than half-a-million acres all done with only four people.
The house-approved version of the budget, House Bill 218, would cut the departments
General Government Operations appropriation by $2.055 million as compared to the Governors
proposal, which would increase that line item by more than $2.2 million.
The loss of that funding would equate to 21 positions within the department, or the
equivalent of eliminating the bureaus of Market Development and Farmland Preservation, the
Hardwoods Development Council, and about half of the positions in the Bureau of Food
Distribution.
For more information on the program, visit Agricultures Farmland Preservation webpage
and review an interactive map and report on the 2016 Farmland Preservation Program.
NewsClips:
Crable: Salmonella Case Rise As Backyard Poultry Hobby Surges In PA
AP: Gallikers Dairy Lays Off 11 Farms Because Of Milk Surplus
Milk Surplus Fallout Begins To Hit Western PA
Dairy Farmers Survive By Thinking Outside The Barn
AP: Annual Farm Aid Benefit Concert Returning To PA
Truth Muller, Alexandra Squatrito Win Delaware Highlands Conservancy Scholarships
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy Monday

announced it has awarded its Yeaman Scholarship in
the amount of $1,000 to Truth Muller, a 2017
homeschooled graduate from within the Monticello
School District, New York and the Vanessa Van
Gorder Memorial Scholarship in the amount of
$1,000 to Alexandra Squatrito, a 2017 graduate of
Wallenpaupack Area High School, Wayne County.
The Yeaman scholarship has been awarded annually
since 2004 to a student planning to pursue a field in
environmental studies in college. Given in honor of
the Conservancys founder, Barbara Yeaman, the
scholarship embodies Barbaras vision and the dedication of our members to protect our special
Upper Delaware River region now and for future generations.
Truth Muller has been homeschooled since 4th grade, allowing him the freedom to
pursue his central passion: the study and protection of the natural world.
He has always been enthralled by nature and has channeled his curiosity into projects and
programs such as Buddies for Bats, an educational outreach program to teach the public about
the critical environmental importance of bats; and Salt Marsh Solutions, an ecologically
sustainable system which converts salt water into fresh, clean drinking water.
Truth intends to continue his work at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine,
where he will pursue a degree in Human Ecology with a focus on Marine Science.
The Vanessa Van Gorder Memorial Scholarship was established in 2015 in honor of
Vanessa, who tragically lost her life on December 26, 2014. A recent graduate from West
Chester University with a degree in education, Vanessa was passionate about the outdoors and
loved exploring the lakes, rivers, and forests of the region with her friends and family. The
Conservancy established this scholarship in Vanessas memory and to honor her dream of
becoming an educator.
Recipient Alexandra Squatrito will attend Penn State University where she will pursue a
degree in Early Childhood Education. Dedicated to her school and community, Alexandra was
the president of Family Career and Community Leaders of America and competed at the State
Leadership Conference where she received national honors.
She was also a member of the student council, varsity tennis, and the Wallenpaupack
Childcare program, while maintaining her membership in the National Honor Society as a
student with high honors.
To continue to inspire youth, encourage study and careers in natural science and
education, and develop talent like Truth and Alexandras, contributions to the Conservancy are
encouraged.
Donations toward the scholarship fund and other environmental education and
conservation initiatives can be made online or by mail to PO Box 218, Hawley, PA 18428.
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy works in partnership with landowners and
communities to protect the natural heritage and quality of life of the Upper Delaware River
region.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Delaware
Highlands Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the
Conservancy (upper right of the page), Like on Facebook and Follow on Twitter.
(Photo: Truth Muller and Alexandra Squatrito)
NewsClips:
Students Launch Underwater Drone With Philadelphia Water Dept.
Op-Ed: Why Kids Need Green Time
Cycle+Cruise+Brew In Philadelphia At the Spring Garden Street Greenway July 13
Join the PA Environmental Council and the Philadelphia

Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems on
July 13 to explore the potential impacts of the Spring
Garden Street Greenway and learn about how trails help
connect users to the rivers.
The Spring Garden Street Greenway will connect major trails along Philadelphia's two
Rivers, the Schuylkill and Delaware. What better way to explore the planned-trail and the rivers
than a bike ride followed by a cruise along the Delaware?
Participants in the ride will get a considerable discount on the cruise, which will include
an open beer bar, a dinner buffet and a live DJ.
Click Here to reserve your ticket. Questions should be directed to Tony Spagnoli
7267-479-6103 or send email to: tspagnoli@pecpa.org.
More information on the project is available at the Spring Garden Street Greenway
website.
updates from PEC.
NewsClips:
Crable: Tragedies Inspire Fmr Lancaster County Man To Hike Appalachian Trail
Goats, Donkey May Help Clear Invasive Species From Allegheny County Park
Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
Laurel Highland Hiking Trail Chimneys To Receive New Life In Somerset County
The PA Parks and Forests Foundation

Wednesday announced it has been awarded a
$10,000 grant from Recreation Equipment,
Inc. to help support restoration of Laurel
Highlands Hiking Trail Adirondack shelters.
The park is truly honored to receive
the support from REI Inc., PPFF, and the
outdoor recreation community said Mike
Mumau, Park Manager, Laurel Hill State
Park. These funds will be used to repoint
the chimneys and repair the fireboxes on the Adirondack shelters along the Laurel Highlands
Hiking Trail. These improvements will guarantee one of the most unique overnight experiences
in our State Park system for generations to come.
Over the past four years, with assistance from REI, the Friends of Laurel Hill State Park,
PPFF and DCNR, four of the eight shelter areas have seen their chimneys and fireboxes restored,
but there is more to be done.
It was so impressive to see how these shelters were repaired to their original strength
and beauty for so many people to use and enjoy said Ron Rodriguez, Store Manager, REI
Pittsburgh, who visited the project site in 2016. We have made this grant one of our main
focuses this year. We look forward to seeing the area continue to transform and provide
unforgettable experiences for adventurers.
Built over forty years ago, these Adirondack style shelters provide a unique camping
experience in a Pennsylvania state park. Yet time and wear have taken their toll, as chimneys
crumble and fireboxes become unsafe.
But that is about to change. A $10,000 grant from REI Pittsburgh will be used to leverage
a remaining $14,000 in private philanthropy so that all remaining shelter areas can be restored.
REIs support has been invaluable to completing this project said Marci Mowery,
President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. Knowing that time is limited for
the remaining chimneys, we are asking users of our parks and forests to support the final
restoration with private philanthropy.
The public can support the project by making a donation to the fund or adopting a shelter,
for which they will receive a before and picture, an adoption certificate, and their name in the
park office at Laurel Hill State Park.
Checks can be sent to PPFF 1845 Market Street Suite 202 Camp Hill, PA 17011, with
LHHT in the memo or online donations at the site listed above.
Foundation.
NewsClips:
State Forests, Parks Deer Management Assistance Program Permits Go On Sale June 19
Offering white-tailed deer hunters more hunting

opportunities across Pennsylvania, state forestlands
and state parks again are participating in the Game
Commission's Deer Management Assistance
Program, or DMAP.
DMAP allows landowners to apply for
permits to encourage antlerless harvests on their
property, enabling DCNR and private landowners
to more effectively manage white-tailed deer populations and curtail damage to forests and
crops.
"We find it supportive that the PA Game Commission found our original allocation
recommendations were based on sound science," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.
"Our biologists, foresters and park managers continue to ascribe to a dynamic, thorough, detailed
and scientific process that leads to all DCNR applications for DMAP permits."
DCNR now is offering hunters 20,736 permits in 79 units totaling 968,054 acres. In 2016,
18,129 DMAP coupons were offered for 80 units totaling 973,363 acres.
State parks participating in the DMAP program include: Bald Eagle, Beltzville, Blue
Knob, Canoe Creek, Codorus, Cook Forest, Gifford Pinchot, Hickory Run, Keystone, Kings
Gap, Moraine, Nescopeck, Ohiopyle, Prince Gallitzin, Presque Isle, Raccoon Creek, Ricketts
Glen, Ryerson Station, Shawnee and Tobyhanna.
"These numbers continue to reflect what our foresters and park managers see on the state
lands they know so well," Dunn said. "This year the Bureau of Forestry added four DMAP units
-- two in Susquehannock State Forest and one each in Michaux and Tioga -- while removing five
units in the Loyalsock and Tiadaghton state forests."
Habitat conditions continue to guide all DCNR's DMAP applications, the secretary said,
and those permits remain an important tool upon which state forest and park managers rely
heavily for continued sustainability of state plants and forests.
"Requests for DMAP-targeted areas, and the number of permits sought, are
science-driven," Dunn said. "DCNR has a statistically based vegetation sampling protocol, with
more than 10,000 plots across state forestland, which assists us in determining where DMAP
should be applied."
Before any DMAP applications are made with the commission, Dunn said the department
follows a rigid forest-health survey that includes:
-- Meetings within the 20 state forest districts to determine if inventory data shows regeneration
and understory, herbaceous vegetation has reached each district's goal;
-- Professional forester observations noting deer-browsing pressure and impact;
-- Studies of regeneration, and diversity of tree, shrub, and wildflowers; as well as fencing
requirements to keep deer out of areas to be timbered;
-- Timber harvest and regeneration data;
-- Individual district management plans that are reviewed by a group of foresters, biologists, and
other professionals, and then overseen by a final executive committee.
DMAP tags go on sale June 19, when state hunting licenses also go on sale. Hunters
obtain permits directly from license issuing agents or the Game Commissions Deer
Management Assistance Program webpage.
Applicants for DMAP permits can find DCNR tract locations and maps, availability
numbers, past hunter success rates and other information online.
Visitors to DMAP Permits and Maps, will find state park and forestlands participating in
DMAP; unit numbers; total issued permits; and permits available.
A click on hyperlinked DMAP unit numbers will show a map of that unit, an important
feature as some state parks have specific areas where the DMAP permit is to be applied, and may
not include the entire park.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNRs website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Click Here for upcoming
events. Click Here to be part of DCNRs Online Community, Click Here to hook up with
DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClips:
June 14 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR
The June 14 issue of the Resource

newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
featuring articles on--
-- DCNR Working To Mitigate And Adapt To Climate Change On Public Lands
-- Restored Dam, Gatehouse Dedicated At Pymatuning State Park, Crawford County
-- DCNR, PennDOT Officials Marke PA Rivers Month By Padding The Schuylkill River
-- Local Partners, DCNR, DCED Celebrate Montour Trail As PA Trail Of The Year
-- Clean Water Is Good For Pennsylvania And The Chesapeake Bay
-- Parks An Essential Part Of The Health Care System In Pennsylvania
-- Click Here to sign up for your own copy.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNRs website, Click Here for upcoming events. Click Here to be part of DCNRs Online
Community, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClips:
Farm To Table, Explore The Landscape Of Gifford Pinchots Grey Towers July 8
A unique look at the early 20th century landscape design and vision
at Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County will be
the focus of a free lecture and walk on July 8 beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Author and landscape architect Bibi Gaston will present the lecture
"Cornelia Pinchots Farm to Table: Birds, Bees and Guernseys." She
will include a discussion of various landscape features on the estate
grounds, including apiaries, plantings, stonework, cows and game
birds.
The lecture will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the tented Pool Terrace behind
the mansion.
At 5:30 p.m. Ms. Gaston will lead a brief walk about the grounds,
pointing out some of the landscape features that will be discussed in
her program.
Complimentary refreshments will be provided by the Grey Towers
Heritage Association there will be an opportunity to meet with Ms. Gaston. Dress for the weather
and wear comfortable shoes for uneven terrain.
Cornelia Pinchot began making changes to the landscape surrounding the Grey Towers
mansion after 1914, when she married Gifford Pinchot, conservationist and two-term governor of
Pennsylvania. Today some of her landscape designs are the most popular features at the National
Historic Site.
Reservations are suggested as seating is limited.
For more Information or to make a reservation please call 570-296-9625 or send an email
to info@greytowers.org.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Grey
Towers Heritage Association. Click Here to sign up for updates from the Association, Like them
on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel, become part of their
Google+ Circle and follow them on Instagram.
Also visit the Grey Towers Historic Site website and the Pinchot Institute for
Conservation website for information on its conservation research and policy programs. Click
Here to sign up for the Institutes regular updates.
(Photo: Cornelia Pinchot worked in the Grey Towers landscape to help fully realize her exterior
design vision. She is shown here planting apple trees in the meadow.)
NewsClip:
Campaign To Raise Funds For Johnstown Inclined Plane Makeover
Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Reclamation Projects In Armstrong, Beaver, Elk

Counties
The Department of Environmental Protection published notices in the June 17 PA Bulletin of the
opportunity to bid on mine reclamation projects in Armstrong, Beaver and Elk counties.
The Department of Environmental Protection has available a current list of
Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Acid Mine Drainage, Surface Mine Reclamation, Cleaning Out
and Plugging Oil and Gas Wells, Waterways Engineering (Concrete Dams/Concrete Lined
Channels, Walls and Box Culverts, etc.), Hazardous Site Remediation, Removal and Disposal of
Underground Storage Tanks, and Wetland Restoration projects available for bidding. Click Here
for the list.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has a current list of bid
proposals for construction projects in State Parks and State Forests available online. Click Here
for the list.
Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events
This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and
meetings and other interesting environmental events.
NEW means new from last week. [Agenda Not Posted] means not posted within 2 weeks
of the advisory committee meeting. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.
Note: DEP published its 2017 schedule of advisory committee and board meeting in the
December 17 PA Bulletin, page 7896.
Note: This is budget season. House and Senate committees can add and cancel meetings with
little notice.
June 17-- NEW. ORSANCO Ohio River Sweep In Western Pennsylvania.
June 17-- NEW. Call For Clean Water Funding At Susquehanna River Rally. City Island,
Harrisburg. 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
June 19-- NEW. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 1333 (Gabler-R-Clearfield) eliminate the current DEP limit on how long surface mine
operators can temporarily cease mining operations from 180 days to the federal standard of what
could be years (Click Here for more), House Bill 1341 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) providing for the
certification of bituminous coal mine emergency medical responders (sponsor summary), Senate
Bill 2624 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) retroactively rolling back protections for streams from deep coal
mining (Click Here for more). Room 205 Ryan Building. Off the Floor.
June 19-- NEW. Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
Senate Bill 334 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorizing a municipality or authority to include private
lateral rehabilitation or replacement of sewer lines in PennVEST funding applications - no
funding source identified (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 639 (Fontana-D-Allegheny)
authorizing a municipality or authority to include private lateral rehabilitation or replacement of
water lines in PennVEST funding applications - no funding source identified (sponsor summary);
Senate Bill 692 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) amends to Sewage Facilities Act to increase what a local
agency may charge from $25 to $100 (sponsor summary); House Bill 290 (Metzgar-R-Bedford)
providing for legislative appointments to the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board
(House Fiscal Note and summary). Rules Room. Off the Floor.
June 19-- NEW. Senate Local Government Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 656
(Fontana-D-Allegheny) authorize local governments to make funds available to repair or replace
lateral water lines contaminated with lead (sponsor summary). Rules Room. Off the Floor.
June 19-- House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee holds an
informational meeting to discuss the use of micro grids to provide reliable energy distribution,
especially during disaster emergencies. Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00.
June 19-22-- Jennings Environmental Education Center Experiencing Your Environment

Through Conservation Youth Camp - Grades 10 to 12. Butler County.
June 20-- House State Government Committee holds a hearing on state regulations: potential
solutions to improving oversight and relieving regulatory burdens. Room G-50 Irvis Building.
9:00.
June 20-- NEW. House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill
1518 (Causer-R-Cameron) further providing for the appointment of members to the Agricultural
Lands Condemnation Approval Board (sponsor summary), House Bill 1550 (Klunk-R-York)
amend the Agricultural Area Security Law allowing for the voluntary relinquish the right to
construct a residence (sponsor summary). Room 140 Main Capitol. 9:15.
June 20-- NEW. Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill
187 (Sonney-R-Erie) further authorize wind energy facilities on preserved farmland (House
Fiscal Note and summary), House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D-Luzerne) establishing the Controlled
Plant and Noxious Weed Committee (House Fiscal Note and summary). Room 461 Main
Capitol. 11:00.
June 20-- Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
-- Final Regulation increasing Radiological Health and Radon Program fees by $2.1 million;
-- 3 Year Fee Report For Chapter 105 Dam Safety and Encroachments Program- Projected $5.9
million deficit, not asking for fee increase at this time. DEP notes: staffing resources are not
sufficient to address all current [Water Obstruction & Encroachments] program responsibilities;
and
-- 3 Year Fee Report For Water and Wastewater Operators Certification Program- Fees are
adequate at this time.
-- Final regulation amending the Class A Streams Designations for streams in Berks, Blair,
Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Columbia, Cumberland, Forest, Huntingdon, Lehigh, Luzerne,
Monroe, Northampton, Potter, Schuylkill, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Venango,
Wayne, Westmoreland and Wyoming counties.
-- Click Here for available handouts
June 20-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Lee Ann Murray, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459,
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8459, 717-705-2693, LeeMurray@pa.gov. Click Here to register to
attend the meeting online via WebEx.
-- Presentation on proposed Volkswagen Settlement
-- Presentation on proposed changes to the radiological health regulations
-- Report by DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell
-- Legislative and budget update from Sarah Clark, Director of Legislative Affairs for DEP.
-- Click Here for a copy of DEPs written monthly report to Council.
-- Click Here for available handouts
June 21-- Agenda Posted. DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Operators
meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Cheri
Sansoni, 717-772-5158, csansoni@pa.gov.
June 21-22-- PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference. Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel
and Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre. Click Here for more information.
June 22-- NEW. House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to
consider House Bill 1412 (Barrar-R-Delaware) establishing the Energy Resiliency & Emergency
Preparedness Act to deploy new technologies to deal with electric system outages (sponsor
summary). Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:00.
June 22-- DEP Listening Session On Proposed Uses Of Volkswagen Settlement Fund To
Reduce Air Pollution. DEP Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut St., Meadville. 10:00 to
Noon.
June 22-- DEP Hearings On A Proposed State Air Quality Implementation Plan Amendment for
RACT II controls on nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions for 4 facilities:
Blommer Chocolate Company in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County-- hearing
starts at 9:00 a.m.; Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp in Upper Gwynedd Township, Montgomery
County-- hearing starts at 11:00 a.m.; Braskem America, Inc. in Marcus Hook Borough,
Delaware County-- hearing starts at 1:00 p.m.; Exelon Generation, Falls Township, Bucks
County-- hearing starts at 3:00 p.m.. DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street,
Norristown. To pre-register to speak at the the hearing contact: Virginia Cain, DEP
environmental Community Relations Specialist, 484-250-5808. DEP Program Contact: James
Beach, DEP Southeast Regional Office, 484-250-5920. (formal notice, PA Bulletin beginning on
page 2939)
June 23-- DEP Listening Session On Proposed Uses Of Volkswagen Settlement Fund To
Reduce Air Pollution. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr., Pittsburgh. 10:00 to
Noon.
June 24-- PA Resources Council Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Quaker Valley High
School, Leetsdale, Allegheny County.
June 24-- Brodhead Watershed Association Get Outdoors Poconos Mount Nebo Hike. Monroe
County.
June 26-- House State Government Committee holds a hearing on the Susquehanna River Basin
Commission and concerns about regulatory overreach.. Shrewsbury Borough Municipal
Building, 35 West Railroad Ave., Shrewsbury, York County. 9:00.
June 26-- NEW. Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee meets to release a report on
PAs Program For Beneficial Use Of Biosolids (Sewage Sludge). Room 8E-B, East Wing.
10:00.
June 28-- Agenda Posted. DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Michael Maddigan at 717-783-9480 or send
email to: mmaddigan@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 28-- PennVEST, DEP Public Meeting On Clean Water and Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund Programs 2017 Intended Use Plans. 2nd Floor Auditorium, Rachel Carson
Building. 1:30. (formal notice)
June 29-- DEP Water, Wastewater Resilience Planning Workshop. DEPs Southcentral Regional
Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
July 5-- DEP Hearing On RACT II Air Pollution Controls For Wood-Mode, Inc. in Middlecreek
Township, Snyder County. DEP Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third Street
Williamsport. 10:00.
July 5-- DEP Hearing On RACT II Air Pollution Controls For Resilite Sports Products, Inc. in
Northumberland County. DEP Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third Street in
Williamsport. 10:00.
July 8-- NEW. Gifford Pinchots Grey Towers Farm To Table, Explore the Landscape Event.
Grey Towers, Milford, Pike County. 4:00 p.m.
July 11-- DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Mark Brojakowski, mbrojakows@pa.gov or 717-772-3429.
(formal notice)
July 12-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered Underground Mining

Equipment. DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact
Peggy Scheloske, mscheloske@pa.gov or 724-404-3143.
July 12-- DEP Hearing On RACT II Air Quality Control Plans For First Quality Tissue, LLC
in Castanea Township, Clinton County. DEP Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third
Street, Suite 101 in Williamsport. 10:00. (Click Here for more.)
July 12-- DEP Hearing On Air Quality Plan Approval For Natural Gas-Fired Beech Hollow
Power Plant In Washington County. Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium at 110 Fort
Cherry Road, McDonald. Meeting- 6:00 p.m., Hearing- 7:00 p.m. (formal notice, PA Bulletin
page 3242) (Click Here for more.)
July 12-- SRBC, DEP Water Loss Management Training For Drinking Water Systems: Metering
and Billing Operations. SRBC, 4423 N. Front Street, Harrisburg. 8:30 to 3:30.
July 13-- DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, dhissner@pa.gov or 717-772-2189.
(formal notice)
July 13-- DEP Hearing On RACT II Air Quality Control Plans For Fairless Energy, LLC, Falls
Township, Bucks County, The Boeing Company in Ridley Township, Delaware County,
Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminal, LP, Marcus Hook Borough, Delaware County,
Global Advanced Metals USA, Inc. in Douglass Township Montgomery County. DEP
Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street, Norristown, Montgomery County starting at 9:00
a.m. for Fairless Energy, LLC, 11:00 a.m. Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminal, LP, 1:30
p.m. for The Boeing Company, 3:30 p.m. for Global Advanced Metals. DEP Southeast Regional
Office, 2 East Main Street, Norristown, Montgomery County. (Click Here for more.)
July 14-- Penn State Extension Community Tree Management Workshop. Milford Township
Building, 2100 Krammes Road, Quakertown, Bucks County. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
July 15-- Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Event. Westmoreland CleanWays Recycling Center, 113 Innovative Lane in Latrobe. 9:00 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m.
July 15-- Penn State Extension Community Tree Management Workshop. Penn State University
Lehigh Valley Campus, 2809 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, Lehigh County. 10:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
July 15-- Food Guy Adventures, Sustainable Pittsburgh A Taste Of Sustainability: Cultural
District Restaurant Tour. Pittsburgh.
July 18-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
July 18-- CANCELED. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Lee Ann Murray, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459,
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8459, 717-705-2693, LeeMurray@pa.gov.
July 18-- NEW. DEP Hearing On State Implementation Plan Revision On Fine Particulate
Matter. DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street, Norristown. 10:00. Persons
wishing to present testimony should contact Roma Monteiro, P.O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA
17105 at 717-787-9495 or send email to: rmonteiro@pa.gov to reserve a time. If no person has
expressed an interest in testifying at the hearings before July 17, the hearings will be canceled.
Matter. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh. 10:00. Persons
wishing to present testimony should contact Roma Monteiro, P.O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA
17105 at 717-787-9495 or send email to: rmonteiro@pa.gov to reserve a time. If no person has
expressed an interest in testifying at the hearings before July 17, the hearings will be canceled.
Matter. DEP, Room 105, Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00. Persons wishing to present
testimony should contact Roma Monteiro, P.O. Box 8468, Harrisburg, PA 17105 at
717-787-9495 or send email to: rmonteiro@pa.gov to reserve a time. If no person has expressed
an interest in testifying at the hearings before July 17, the hearings will be canceled.
July 18-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board hearing on VOC, NOx Emission Controls, RACT
for Major Sources Proposed Regulation. DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street,
Norristown. 1:00.
for Major Sources Proposed Regulation. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive,
Pittsburgh. 1:00.
July 19-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Proposed State Implementation Plan Revision Setting The
Base Year Inventory For The Lebanon County Nonattainment Area For 2012 Fine Particulate
Matter Standard. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg. 10:00.
be canceled.
July 20-- NEW. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Knox District Mining
Office, 310 Best Lane, Knox. 9:00. DEP Contact Daniel Snowden, dsnowden@pa.gov or
717-787-5103.
for Major Sources Proposed Regulation. DEP, Room 105, Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg.
1:00.
July 20-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Proposed Transfer Of Emission Reduction Credits To Perdue
AgriBusiness, Lancaster County. Bainbridge Fire Hall, 34 South 2nd Street, Bainbridge. 6:30 to
8:30. Contact Brenda Esterline at 717-705-4704 to testify. (June 17 PA Bulletin, page 3392)
July 22-- PA Resources Council. Household Chemical Collection Event. Consol Energy Park,
Washington County.
July 24-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Draft NPDES Water Quality Permit for the Brunner Island
Power Station, York County. Union Fire Company, 201 York Street, Manchester. 6:30 to 8:30.
Those who wish to present testimony during the hearing are asked to register in advance by
contacting John Repetz in the Southcentral Regional Office, 717-705-4904 or send email to:
jrepetz@pa.gov. (June 17 PA Bulletin, page 3432)
July 26-- DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, nherb@pa.gov
or 717-783-9269.
July 29-- PA Resources Council Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. La Roche College,

McCandless, Allegheny County.
August 1-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 8:30. DEP Contact: Carl Jones, caejone@pa.gov or 484-250-5818.
August 2-- NEW. DEP Aggregate Advisory Board meeting. Hampton Inn, 202 Fairview Drive,
Monaca, Beaver County. 10:00. DEP Contact Daniel Snowden, dsnowden@pa.gov or
717-787-5103.
August 9-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730 or diawilson@pa.gov.
August 12-- PA Resources Council Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Century III Mall, West
Mifflin, Allegheny County.
August 12-- Food Guy Adventures, Sustainable Pittsburgh A Taste Of Sustainability: Cultural
District Restaurant Tour. Pittsburgh.
August 14-- NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council Field Visit Meeting. Location TBD. DEP
Contact: Lee Ann Murray, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459, Harrisburg, PA
17105-8459, 717-705-2693, LeeMurray@pa.gov.
August 15-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
August 16-- SRBC, DEP Water Loss Management Training For Drinking Water Systems:
Fundamentals of Leakage and Pressure Management. SRBC, 4423 N. Front Street, Harrisburg.
8:30 to 3:30.
August 17-- CANCELED. Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to:
twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)
August 17-- PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council meeting. Location TBD. 1:00.
August 19-- PA Resources Council. Household Chemical Collection Event. Boyce Park,
Allegheny County.
August 23-- Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to: twallace@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
September 13-- DEP Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Committee meeting. Room 206,
Bureau of Laboratories Building, 2575 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Aaren
Alger, aaalger@pa.gov or 717-346-7200. (formal notice)
September 13-- PA Section of the American Water Works Association. Small Water System
Rates & Finance Workshop. PA American Water, 2736 Ellwood Road in New Castle, Lawrence
County. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
September 16-- PA Resources Council. Household Chemical Collection Event. South Park,
Allegheny County.
September 21-- DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee/Solid Waste Advisory Committee
joint meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry,
lahenry@pa.gov or 717-772-5713.
September 23-26-- Statewide Greenways & Trails Summit. DoubleTree Hotel in Reading,
Berks County.
September 24-26- PA Recreation and Parks Society PA Greenways and Trails Summit.
Reading, Berks County.
October 4-- CANCELED. DEP Low-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting
rescheduled to October 10. DEP Contact: Molly Adams, 717-787-2480, moadams@pa.gov..
October 5-- DCNR Snowmobile and ATV Advisory Council meeting. Promised Land State
Park, 100 Lower Lake Road, Greentown, Pike County. 10:00. DCNR Contact: Jennie Shade,
717-772-9084. (formal notice)
October 5-- PA Section of the American Water Works Association. Small Water System
Improving Drinking Water Quality Workshop. Lehigh County Authority, 1053 Spruce Street,
Wescosville, Lehigh County. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 7-- PA Resources Council Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Settlers Cabin Park,
Allegheny County.
October 10-- DEP Low-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Molly Adams, 717-787-2480, moadams@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
October 14-- PA Resources Council. Household Chemical Collection Event. Bradys Run Park,
Beaver County.
November 1-- Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to: twallace@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
November 14-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 16th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. DEP Contact: Carl Jones, caejone@pa.gov or
484-250-5818.
November 16-- CANCELED. Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to:
twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)
November 16-- PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council meeting. Location TBD.
1:00.
December 5-7-- National Brownfields Conference - Sustainable Communities Start Here.

LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
February 7-10-- PA Association For Sustainable Agriculture Annual Conference. State
College.
Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
February 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 740
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (Feb. 2017) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
Note: The Environmental Education Workshop Calendar is no longer available from the PA
Center for Environmental Education because funding for the Center was eliminated in the FY
2011-12 state budget. The PCEE website was also shutdown, but some content was moved to
the PA Association of Environmental Educators' website.
Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule
You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle
Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
June 20-- EPA Clean Diesel National Grants

June 23-- Delaware River Watershed Research Proposals Letter Of Intent
June 30-- Centers Of Dairy, Beef Excellence Farm Compliance Grants
June 30-- Susquehanna Greenways Partnership 2017 Photo Contest
June 30-- State Fire Commissioner Emergency Response Grants Related To Gas Wells
July 7-- ARIPPA Mine Reclamation Mini-Grants
July 14-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
July 14-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
July 14-- CFA Solar Energy Program
July 14-- CFA High Performance Building Program
July 17-- Keep PA Beautiful Fresh Paint Days Grants
July 21-- PA Horticultural Society/Philadelphia Airport Landscape Design Competition
August 18-- SBA Flood Disaster Economic Injury Assistance In Northcentral PA
September 1-- American Chestnut Foundation Chestnut Photo Contest
September 5-- SBA Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Economic Injury NC PA
September 7-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Thru The Seasons Photo Contest
September 15-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
September 15-- CFA Solar Energy Program
September 15-- CFA High Performance Building Program
September 30-- DEP Recycling Performance Grants
October 31-- PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest
December 15-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.
-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.

Environmental NewsClips - All Topics
Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General
Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.
The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily
Blog, Twitter Feed and add us to your Google+ Circle.
Air
Alternative Fuels
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Budget
Improvements
Chesapeake Bay
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Climate
Wolf Criticizes Trumps Paris Accord Decision, Supports Energy Jobs
About Pittsburgh
Op-Ed: After Trumps Paris Exit, Wolf Needs To Step Up On Climate Change
Op-Ed: There Is No Acceptable Alternative To Paris Climate Accords
Erie Candidate For Mayor Vows To Sign Climate Accord Pledge
Answer 6 Questions And Predict How Much CO2 You Could Offset
Citizen Lobbyists Make Progress With DC Republicans On Climate
AP: PA Denied Federal Snowstorm Cleanup Aid Again
Trump Wages Battle Against Regulations, Not Climate Change
Trump Administration Abstains From G7 Climate Change Pledge
Tillerson Maintains Support For Paris Climate Accord Despite Trump Decision
Letter: Trumps Climate Decision Is On Us
Letter: Its Time To Cool Down The Climate Rhetoric
Letter: Climate Change Already Affecting Americans Health
Utility Sectors Business Case For Deep Decarbonization
Coal Mining
About Pittsburgh
Compliance Action
Delaware River
Activists To Delaware River Basin Commission: Ban Drilling And Fracking
NJ Candidate For Governor Calls For Delaware River Basin Fracking Ban
Drinking Water
Pittsburgh Water Authority Customers Could Get Help For Lead Line Replacement
Editorial: State Oversight Of Pittsburgh Water Authority Justified
Federal Court: Insurers Must Defend Butler School In Tainted Water Suit
Judge Says Insurers Must Cover Lead Exposure Claims At Butler School
Butler School District Escapes Parents Suit Over Lead, Copper In Water
Westmoreland Water Conservation For 100K Could Have Been Much Worse
Bala Cynwyd Man Sentenced To Prison For Hacking Water Utilities
Economic Development
Ethane Cracker Tops PAs Top Construction Projects By Far
Grant Awarded To Remove Rare Earth Elements From Jeddo Anthracite Mine Site
Education
Emergency Response
AP: PA Denied Federal Snowstorm Cleanup Aid Again
Energy
About Pittsburgh
Berwick Nuclear Power Plant Back Online
How Retiring Nuclear Power Plants May Undercut U.S. Climate Goals
Three Mile Island Latest Nuclear Power Plant To Announce Retirement Plans
Groups Say TMIs Charitable Efforts Will Be Hard To Replace
Editorial: Let Market Forces Dictate TMI Future
Editorial: Nuclear Plants, Energy Politics. How About Realistic Policy?
NRC Begins Reviewing Three Mile Island Waste Storage Extension Request
Extension Sought For Storing TMI Accident Debris In Idaho
Allen Grad Overcomes Troubled Childhood To Found Uber Of Energy
Austrian Firm Positions Itself To Buy Aquion Battery For $2.8M
Talen Energy Says Berwick Nuclear Plant Back In Operation
PPL Readies Distribution System To Withstand Summer Stresses
PUC Blocks Utility From Using Herbicides Near Home
Deadline For Comments To U.S. Energy Dept. On Regulatory Reform July 14
Energy Conservation
Olson: Cartwright School Energy Efficiency Bill Passes U.S. House
LED Lights Taking Over Households At Meteoric Rate
Environmental Heritage
Letter: Hometown Hero Rachel Carson Would Be Appalled By Trump
Farming
Crable: Salmonella Case Rise As Backyard Poultry Hobby Surges In PA
AP: Gallikers Dairy Lays Off 11 Farms Because Of Milk Surplus
Milk Surplus Fallout Begins To Hit Western PA
Dairy Farmers Survive By Thinking Outside The Barn
AP: Annual Farm Aid Benefit Concert Returning To PA
Flooding
Business Owners Brace For More Flooding, Storm Damage In Western PA
Forests
Decades-Long American Chestnut Restoration Efforts Show Progress
Brush Fire Erupts On Blue Mountain In Lehigh County
Geologic Hazards
Home In Middle Of Harrisburg Sinkhole Block Hits Tax Sale
Editorial: Harrisburg Schools Should Forgive Taxes For Sinkhole Homes
Green Infrastructure
Mine Reclamation
Grant Awarded To Remove Rare Earth Elements From Jeddo Anthracite Mine Site
Oil & Gas
PA Court Refuses To Stop Drilling Under United Refinerys Huge Gasoline Tank
Crable: Panel Says Fracking Impacts Stretch Down Susquehanna To Lancaster
Allegheny Front: On Health Effects, Blame The Trucks, Not Fracking?
Shell Paid $10 Million In Taxes, Other Payments To PA Last Year
Range Resources Drills Record-Setting 3-Mile Lateral Wells In Washington County
Seismic Testing For Drilling Coming To Monroeville
Activists To Delaware River Basin Commission: Ban Drilling And Fracking
NJ Candidate For Governor Calls For Delaware River Basin Fracking Ban
Hunting For Caverns To Store Ethane, Propane, Butane
Ethane Cracker Tops PAs Top Construction Projects By Far
Carr: Gas Company Says Long-Term Noise Problem To Be Solved At Penn Hills Station
U.S. Worlds Top Oil, Natural Gas Producer For 5th Straight Year
Pittsburghs Gasoline Prices Fall For 7th Straight Week
Pipelines
Cusick: DEP Holds Hearings On Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Permits
Crable: Workers, Businesses That Benefit From Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Swarm Hearing
Locals Attend Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Hearing In Tunkhannock
Proposed Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Through PA Debated
DEP Hears Testimony On Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Project Permits In Wyoming County
Sunoco Seeks Injunction Against Huntingdon Family Opposed To Mariner 2 East Pipeline
Washington County Monitors Bentonite Spill From Pipeline Project
Experts: Pipelines Needed To Get Gas To Market
Letter: Laurel Pipeline Reversal Would Be Good For Consumers
Letter: Wolfs Energy Agenda Perilous
Shavertown Homes Evacuated As Precaution After Crews Hit Natural Gas Line
Assisted Living Residents Evacuated Over Suspected Gas Leak
Court Cant Review Trump Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Lawyers Argue
Court Finds Trump Approval Of Dakota Access Pipeline Violated The Law
Radiation Protection
Talen Energy Says Berwick Nuclear Plant Back In Operation
Berwick Nuclear Power Plant Back Online
Groups Say TMIs Charitable Efforts Will Be Hard To Replace
Editorial: Let Market Forces Dictate TMI Future
Editorial: Nuclear Plants, Energy Politics. How About Realistic Policy?
How Retiring Nuclear Power Plants May Undercut U.S. Climate Goals
Three Mile Island Latest Nuclear Power Plant To Announce Retirement Plans
Secrecy, Lack Of Records Vex Armstrong County Nuclear Waste Cleanup
Is Missing Radioactive Material Still Buried In Parks Twp, Armstrong County?
Nuclear Material Doled Out Like Candy 50 Years Ago
Whats The Link Between Chernobyl And TMI Studies?
NRC Begins Reviewing Three Mile Island Waste Storage Extension Request
Extension Sought For Storing TMI Accident Debris In Idaho
Toshiba To Pay $3.68 Billion for Westinghouse Reactors In U.S.
Recreation
Recycling/Waste
Regulations
Senate Passes Bill To Give Legislature Power To Kill Costly Regulations
Renewable Energy
Stormwater
Wastewater Facilities
Dunmore To Add Request For AG To Review Sewer Sale
Editorial: Scranton Sewer System Deal Review Chorus Grows
PUC OKs $29.5M Privatization Of Chesco Sewer System
Watershed Protection
Crable: A Journey To Find The Source Of The Conestoga River
Crable: A Retrospective Of The Conestoga River
Wildlife
Frye: Young Fly Anglers To Compete On The World Stage
Schneck: Bass In PA, Living, Thriving Far Beyond Natures Plan
Schneck: Beautiful PA: Beaver Run Pond, Elk County (Video)
Schneck: Theyre Back! Mayfly Season Under Way In Central PA
Dramatic Breeding Season Ends Well For Pittsburgh Bald Eagles
Hays Bald Eagle Fledgling Takes First Fight
Hays Eaglet Takes Flight Near Pittsburgh
Schneck: Whats A Kids Pit? And Other Scenes From A Rattlesnake Hunt
Schneck: Firefly Season Spreading Across PA
West Nile/Zika Virus
Mosquito In Scranton Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
Other
Campaign To Raise Funds For Johnstown Inclined Plane Makeover
Federal Policy
Improvements
About Pittsburgh
Op-Ed: After Trumps Paris Exit, Wolf Needs To Step Up On Climate Change
Op-Ed: There Is No Acceptable Alternative To Paris Climate Accords
Court Cant Review Trump Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Lawyers Argue
Court Finds Trump Approval Of Dakota Access Pipeline Violated The Law
Trump Wages Battle Against Regulations, Not Climate Change
Trump Administration Abstains From G7 Climate Change Pledge
Tillerson Maintains Support For Paris Climate Accord Despite Trump Decision
Erie Candidate For Mayor Vows To Sign Climate Accord Pledge
Citizen Lobbyists Make Progress With DC Republicans On Climate
PA Among 11 States Suing Trump Administration On Energy Efficiency Rules
Op-Ed: Beware Of EPAs Scientific Integrity Officer Behind The Curtain
Deadline For Comments To U.S. Energy Dept. On Regulatory Reform July 14
Letter: Hometown Hero Rachel Carson Would Be Appalled By Trump
What Has Trump Done To The Environment So Far? A Quick Rundown
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of proposed
rulemaking to control volatile organic compound emissions from industrial cleaning solvents,
aerospace manufacturing and rework and additional RACT requirements for major sources of
nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Persons wishing to present testimony at a hearing are requested to contact the
Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477, 717-787-4526 at
least 1 week in advance of a hearing to reserve a time to present testimony.
The deadline for comments is August 21. Comments can be submitted to the Board on
Pennsylvania Bulletin - June 17, 2017
Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
February 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 740
Technical Guidance & Permits
Note: DEP published 58 pages of public notices related to proposed and final permit and
approval/ disapproval actions in the June 17 PA Bulletin - pages 3375 to 3433.
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin

notifying all owners and operators of air contamination sources subject to the states air emission
inventory that the agency will only accept inventory submissions in an electronic format starting
in 2018.
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of

proposed infrastructure State Implementation Plan revisions related to the 2012 fine particulate
matter standard.
be cancelled.
DEP published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of a proposed State Implementation Plan
revisions setting the base year inventory for the Lebanon County nonattainment area for 2012
fine particulate matter standard.
A public hearing is scheduled on the proposal for--
-- July 19: DEPs Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg starting at
10:00.
be canceled.
DEP published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of changes to the list of businesses certified to
perform radon-related activities (PA Bulletin, page 3431).
The Governors Office of Administration published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of a

reorganization of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (Feb. 2017) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
CLICK HERE To View Or Print Entire PA Environment Digest
CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest. This Digest has 85 pages.
Stories Invited
Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or
programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department

of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates, a
Harrisburg-based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500
companies and nonprofit organizations.
Did you know you can search 14 years of back issues of the PA Environment Digest on dozens
of topics, by county and on any keyword you choose? Just click on the search page.
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PA Environment Digest June 19, 2017

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PA Environment Digest June 19, 2017

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PA Environment Digest

An Update On Environmental Issues In Pennsylvania

Winner Of PA Association of Environmental Educators

PA Environment Digest Daily Blog Twitter Feed

Issue #677 Harrisburg, PA June 19, 2017

The PA Environmental Council Wednesday posted

Conservation, recreation and preservation organizations

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation sent out this

How much do your state parks and forests mean to

Op-Ed: Parks, Forest and RecreationEssential To Pennsylvania Health And Economy

Seventy-three percent of adults surveyed across

Senate Unanimously Passes Bill To Prevent Funding Crisis In Recycling Program

The Senate Tuesday unanimously passed Senate Bill 646

House Passes Bills Authorizing Local Stormwater Management Fees

The House Monday passed a package of four bills authorizing local

The Public Utility Commission Thursday posted detailed

The Senate Tuesday voted 29 to 20, largely along party-lines,

PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds

Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates--

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Govs Schedule/ Bills Introduced

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

Bills Pending In Key Committees

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

Pollinator Week: House Resolution 387 (Matzie-D-Allegheny) designating week of June 19 to

Bills On Governor's Desk

Senate/House Bills Moving

Philadelphia Parks Day: House Resolution 379 (Brown-D-Philadelphia) designating June 12 as

Approval Of Regulations: Senate Bill 561 (Disanto-R-Dauphin) which requires an up or down

News From The Capitol

Presenters told the Joint Senate/House Air and

In testimony submitted to the Joint Conservation

DEP Urges Reauthorization Of $2 Recycling Fee Before Joint Conservation Committee

In testimony Tuesday, Department of Environmental Protection

Pennsylvania has an official state animal--

News From Around The State

Carol Collier Recognized With PECs Winsor Award In Philadelphia

Carol Collier, former Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin

PA Launches Effort To Write Cleanup Plan Addressing Chesapeake Bay Shortfall

By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Pennsylvania effort to write a more robust Bay

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Thursday announced

The latest newsletter is now available from Forests For The

Susquehanna River Basin Commission: 40% Reduction In Municipal Permit Fees,

Volunteer For ORSANCO Ohio River Sweep In Western PA June 17

PennDOT: Recycled Asphalt Paving Saves The Environment And Money

The Department of Transportation Tuesday discussed

The Appalachian Regional Commission, slated for

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Op-Ed: Anyone Using Pittsburgh As An Excuse To Go Soft On The Environment Knows

By Joseph Sabino Mistick

The following op-ed appeared in the Tribune Review on June 10

Anyone who uses Pittsburgh as an excuse to go soft on

The Department of Environmental Protection and

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin

PUC Announces Appointments To Consumer Advisory Council

Green Building Alliance Showcases Net-Zero Energy Buildings June 27 In Pittsburgh

The Green Building Alliance will showcase 9

Attorney General Josh Shapiro Wednesday announced he and 10 other

PA Adds 34 Farms, More Than 2,700 Acres To Farmland Preservation Program

Pennsylvanias Agricultural Land Preservation Board

Truth Muller, Alexandra Squatrito Win Delaware Highlands Conservancy Scholarships

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy Monday

Cycle+Cruise+Brew In Philadelphia At the Spring Garden Street Greenway July 13